The blood is the life
by SarahBelle
Summary: It's awkward when you don't know quite how to treat someone you used to hate. It's even more awkward when you're learning to be friends on a planet where half the population has fangs, and everyone seems to know something that you don't. Post film.
1. Getting off to a fairly crappy start

**What can I say? I liked the new film. I **_**loved **_**the new film. It was a profoundly satisfying experience watching it. It also opened up the Star Trek universe to a whole possibility of what it common and what is not. As one review said, from the point of view of the writers, 'Take **_**that**_**, obsessive fan base! We can write anything we want now! We could turn Captain Kirk into a **_**duck**_** and you'd have to accept it! Actually, that would be pretty cool.' **

**This hopefully equipped with a plot and conclusion story is set after the Nero incident, but just before they all set off on that five year mission everyone no longer knows so well. As for the planet and its inhabitants featured in this story, they obviously aren't a part of Star Trek cannon, but enjoy anyway. **

* * *

**Getting off to a fairly crappy start**

"So…we're heading for a planet of vampires?"

Probably that wasn't the _best_ thing that he could have said; the really rather ravishing and surprisingly young ambassador they'd picked up from Earth to return to this out-of-the-way-planet before they started off on their mission did not look particularly amused, and darted a glance at Spock as if wondering who exactly had put this idiot in charge of a star ship. Spock didn't seem to be ready to volunteer any information on that subject, so she turned to look back at him with a carefully bland face.

"I'm sure Doctor…McCoy could inform you that the Sangni are hardly vampires. They merely rely on a different form of sustenance than most humanoid species."

"Which happens to be blood."

Ambassador Siobhan probably couldn't help it despite all of her training; she rolled her eyes before she realised what she was doing."Which happens to be blood, captain, yes. Or indeed _any_ liquid from which they can gain nutrition, but blood _is_ the most efficient source for the energy they need to sustain themselves."

"Huh." McCoy looked both thoughtful and just a _tiny_ bit queasy as he stared at a PADD that detailed the rather unique biology of this particular race. Uhura was already buried in another PADD in a chair across his ready room, no doubt reacquainting herself with the language – or maybe just learning it straight off, she was that fast. Neither of them seemed to be willing to help out with this potentially awkward subject, in this equally awkward meeting. He wished that mad engineer was here, just to lighten things up.

"So…do they like the taste of any blood in particular?" he prompted, determined to explore this new development from every angle, which was clearly his duty. "I mean, do they just drink from one animal in general, or do they have a…you know, varied diet? Different blood types?"

"The Sangni are capable of gaining nutrition from the many animals that are native to their planet, Captain; however, I am aware that the preferred food – or drink, as it may be – of choice is the blood of the Mineen, the second race that lives on this world."

This rather bland, cool bit of information on his first officer's part didn't help to quell the leap in Kirk's stomach, or his sudden rush of anger. "'Preferred food of choice?' You mean that they keep them as _slaves_?"

"No, they _don't_." Siobhan had stood up quickly, obviously used to this reaction and taking it coolly. "Please, _try_ not to use that word in connection with these people, Captain Kirk; they would be _very_ offended. Slavery has been banned on their world for more than two hundred years. They have created a sustainable culture where everyone is accounted for. The Sangni and the Mineen regard each other as equals, without any exceptions."

"But they haven't always done so, have they?"

Siobhan looked at him for a few breaths, and then seemed to decide that if he wasn't going to be professional she'd have to let go of something in order to get anywhere. She sighed, her shoulders loosened and she suddenly looked a lot more likable than she had done before, if even more annoyed.

"All right, quick history lesson for anyone who wasn't paying attention to newly discovered worlds in the last fifteen years." McCoy smirked at him as she said that, no doubt knowing who the comment was aimed at. She sat back down, steepling her fingers and looking rather like Spock did when he'd burst in on him meditating. "Yes, Kirk, the Sangni _did _originally enslave the Mineen. They were, and still are in some ways, a rather fragile species; with the right food source they're incredibly strong and capable, but the problem at this point in history – about seven hundred years ago or so - was that they constantly needed that sustenance to be able to function at any capacity at all. The Mineen aren't nearly as strong but at this point there were far more of them; they weren't restricted to a certain diet; they could breed faster. The Sangni constantly feared being overthrown and wiped out by this very adaptable race, so they took steps to make sure that couldn't happen. Slavery and forced control of the breeding rate was apparently the best way to make sure that everyone got enough blood and was supposedly protected, since they saw themselves, as the older race, as superior and responsible for the apparent well being of the younger."

"How _nice_." McCoy's sarcasm could make any words sound like acid in a wound.

"However!" She held up a finger at that. "About two hundred and fifty years ago, many Sangni had already started pushing for an end to slavery and an introduction of full rights for the slaves, saying that the two species were perfectly capable of maintaining their respective needs and cultures as equals. The foundations of a new society were thus laid – a society based on understanding, cooperation, and most of all, symbiosis."

He recognised that word from somewhere. One guy he had met in a bar a few years back now had sworn up and down that members of the Trill race went around with symbiotic worms in their stomachs. Or something like that, anyway. "What exactly does this _symbiosis_ do for those who…practise it, then?"

Siobhan hand waved, deflecting him. "As I've said before, Doctor McCoy could explain that to you more thoroughly than I could, captain."

"Going back to your second question, captain, there are at least three logical reasons why it is highly unlikely that any of the away team that will accompany Ambassador Siobhan down to the planet once we arrive will be considered as a food source; firstly, any blood with an iron or, in my case, a copper base would run a fifty two point five three percent chance of poisoning any Sangnar who attempted to sample it; secondly, the people that the crew will go amongst will be comprised almost entirely of the noble class and thus will be uninterested; thirdly, if anyone is more curious and impolite than is good for either party, the first law will protect the latter."

"First law?" This was sounding more and more like an Issac Asimov story, narrated by a computer that happened to sound an awful lot like Spock.

"The first law is the most important of the Four Great Laws that regulate Sangneen culture." The trouble with having a really, really smart first officer was that he so very often showed you up. He wanted to glare at Spock, but didn't dare try it when Uhura looked up from whatever she was doing. She nodded to her…damn, it was weird even thinking it…her _lover, _and at once began speaking in a really quite pretty sounding language, all lyrical and poetry-like. He got the impression she was reciting something, especially when she kept repeating certain phrases.

"It's much fancier in the original language," she went on, switching back to Standard, "but basically the Four Great Laws are a lot of _thou shalt nots_."

"Such as, Lieutenant Uhura?"

Siobhan cleared her throat, all but demanding that she take over again. He could see how this woman got to be an ambassador. Uhura raised an eyebrow worthy of Spock, but gestured towards her with a distinct air of 'Be my guest'.

"The laws are taught to every child of both races while they're still learning to talk; it's practically ingrained in their psyche." She held up her hand to count off her fingers. "They go as follows: _Thou shalt not feed from any that be unwilling; nor shalt thou suffer it to be so. Thou shalt not feed to kill; nor shalt thou suffer it to be so. Thou shalt not feed from a woman with child, be she willing or no; nor shalt thou suffer it to be so. Thou shalt not feed from a child if thee be grown, be they willing or no; nor shalt thou suffer it to be so._" She stopped to swallow. "There's more than those four, of course, but you get the idea."

"The laws apply to both Sangni and Mineen," Spock chipped in. "Any Mineer who is complicit in breaking the laws is deemed just as guilty."

"Whoa." Too late he realised what a completely stupid thing this was for him to say and quickly tried to reboot his swiftly failing professionalism. "And all these laws carry the same weight?"

"Well, not _exactly_." Her fingers came together and closed over each other. She really had quite beautiful hands, and he really didn't need to be thinking about that just now. "In a justified emergency breaking the third law can be pardoned, as long as the culprit didn't take enough blood to harm the mother or the baby, and as long as she was willing, of course. The same goes for the fourth law so long as the child was old enough to be aware of the choice they were making, though the Sangnar involved would suffer from severe criticism regardless; an adult feeding from a child borders on paedophilia.

"But the second law is just as serious in their culture as in ours, and the first law is inviolate, taboo, unpardonable. _Anyone_ who breaks it is subject to the severest punishment. Any Sangnar below nobility guilty of this crime can be 'relieved'," and her eyebrows went up, practically doing a 'finger quotes' using only her face, "of their property and imprisoned, deprived of sustenance for long amounts of time – that's a torture all by itself, but it supposedly teaches them restraint. Nobles, however, have their titles taken away and are locked up permanently and starved into madness; it might as well be an execution, since it leads to an incredibly painful death."

Bones whistled as he shook his head and his hand. "Damn. That's – well, damn, that's _evil."_

"But logical."

"What, are you cold blooded as well as green blooded?"

"Think about it, doctor. The nobility are a prime influence on the society of this planet. All eyes are upon them, and it would not be wise if the majority of the population knew that they could get away with murder – or far worse."

"You've got the idea, Commander." Siobhan took the PADD from McCoy now that he had finished with it, brought up a new screen and held it out to be passed around; it showed a list of punishments for crimes committed by nobles on the planet Sangneen. There were relatively few; he wondered if this meant that there wasn't any need for further laws, or if the rich simply got away with more than was apparent at first.

"Punishments for nobles are often more serious, you see. The nobility are supposed to set a good example, be the epitome of restraint, order and successful symbiosis. It's pretty hard to keep that image going when one or more of their number is defying the very law upon which their way of life is based and behaving in the manner of the old days. The punishments are twofold; they remind everyone that violation of the first law will not be tolerated no matter what your social class is, and they remove the offender from the public eye so that they can't do any more damage." She shrugged. "And it works, so far as I can see; ever since the laws have been set in progress there've been only five or so nobles who broke the first law."

"When was the last one?"

"About seven years back now. It got dealt with pretty efficiently." She had shut herself down and away again with barely a blink. She stood up again, suggesting without a word that she wouldn't be sitting down in this room again for a while. "If you'll excuse me, captain, officers, I'm feeling rather fatigued. I'll retire to my quarters for now."

"Of course." They all said their goodbyes and then stayed quiet as she left, and to be on the safe side waited for a few moments until the door was closed and she had time to walk all the way down the corridor.

"Sweet Jesus, but she's bipolar," McCoy said succinctly.

"Be nice, doctor." Uhura was already deep in her PADD again. "Perhaps she just isn't used to being around Terrans any more. She's spent about seven years on Sangneen now, they probably have very different social norms compared to us."

"Yeah, for a planet where half the population likes to drink the other half's blood, that sounds about right." He stood up now, stretching; he'd been sitting down for too long. "You know, I'm curious about that. She gets posted to the planet seven years ago, there's a big old law broken seven years ago…"

"There is such a thing as coincidence, captain."

"And there is such a thing as too much of it, Spock. I say we get her drunk."

**

* * *

**

Up until the late twenty fourth

**century the nature of Trill symbiosis was mostly unknown; I assume that this would still be true in the alternate universe. **

**Again, the Sangni and the Mineen are of course not part of any Star Trek cannon; I made them up to serve my story. Apologies if the biology doesn't make sense.**


	2. The power of mint juleps

**Quick recap: Loved the film. Certainly do not own the copious backstory that comes with it. Many thanks to all the lovely people who have reviewed. Roll camera.**

* * *

**The power of mint juleps**

Spock not appreciating the humour of the joke, or the general idea behind it, made it regrettably necessary to leave him out of the small party they held in the ship's bar later on. He probably would have begged off anyway with an excuse that he needed to meditate or do something appropriately Vulcan enough that calling his bluff would be like kicking him when he was down. If you actually could manage to take Spock down, anyway. He now found that thinking about that was frankly pretty disturbing.

Uhura was in on the take though, after a bit of pleading on his part, though he fortunately hadn't had to resort to pulling rank. It would be a black day indeed when the weight of being a captain succeeded where his own personality failed when it came to the ladies. She'd planned to spend the evening with Spock, of course, but he'd talked her out of it; "Just because you're…whatever exactly it _is_ that you've got going on with him, that doesn't mean you're _dead_. Besides, she'll never come if _I_ invite her. Don't know if you noticed, but she isn't exactly that keen on me."

"A problem you're ready and willing to remedy, captain? And yes, by the way, I _did_ notice." But there wasn't any more acid in her voice, and while it wasn't yet as warm as it was for others it was thawing for him. It'd still take some time despite all they'd gone through, but he had a feeling that she just might let him get closer, which was all he could allow himself to want now.

Spock, now…Spock was going to be a _mite_ trickier.

Anyway, she managed to tempt the ambassador into coming to the bar with her, arriving at twenty hundred hours precisely. He and McCoy had commandeered a little nook five minutes before and were sitting in view of the main door, in a prime spot for him to nod almost regally whenever his awestruck crew acknowledged him, right up until Bones elbowed him right in the ribs and told him in hushed but no uncertain terms to knock it off. Uhura quickly came over with her somewhat reluctant companion, questions were asked; there was _certainly _enough room around the table for four, pull up a seat.

Contrary to his earlier idea, they did _not_ specifically set out to get Ambassador Siobhan drunk. Well, not much. They did, however, get her to drink. He had a few beers, with a relatively low alcohol content to be on the safe side. McCoy had some of those mint juleps he was so fond of. Uhura, in stark contrast with the large bevy of drinks she'd ordered on that rather fateful night slightly more than three years ago now, initially just had a root beer, although she spent the latter part of the evening sipping a Cardassian Sunrise. Siobhan started out with a root beer too, but McCoy somehow managed to persuade her to at least _try _his favourite drink and she actually liked it, so much so that she ordered another for herself, and then another cocktail with a name he couldn't even begin to try to pronounce, and as a result got, if not tipsy, then rather more chatty than she had been before. Kirk hadn't actually thought that it would be _this_ easy, that as an ambassador she'd be wise to ruses like this; but he soon got the impression that Siobhan really just needed an excuse to loosen up and talk and a little alcohol and a friendly environment were as good an excuse as any.

They talked a lot about Sangneen, about the people that lived on it and about that symbiotic ideal that they were so focused on. Siobhan, all of her mint julep inside her by this point and gesturing a little more expansively than before, explained the basic social structure of the planet; the land masses were divided up into provinces and each province was governed by a noble family, though really 'noble' was by this point in time just a fancier word for a government official, although admittedly many of the families still had aristocratic blood left over from the days of pre-joining. All of the nobles answered to a central authority situated in one particular province, where the Federation embassy was located. The Sangni and Mineen lived together in relative harmony in pastoral communities and cities alike; every community and every district of a city had a rota system wherein a certain number of Mineen donated blood on a certain week of the year, enough so that no one's health was affected and everyone had enough to eat. In addition families that were friends would often swap services, particularly out in the countryside where technological advances were less common, allowing Sangni to feed for a short amount of time in exchange for some aid with building or helping to bring in the harvest. Blood had become an unofficial, though certainly strictly regulated, currency. And it had worked, and still did.

To _him_ it all sounded a little too good to be true, and he shivered at an image he suddenly got of a group of grey faced people lining up to be routinely deprived of a pint of their blood, sad looking children amongst them. But that was just a stereotype left over in his mind from vampire stories; these were real living, breathing people he was being told about and the Federation hadn't objected, so they were obviously doing _something _right.

As for the nobles - a rank which now consisted of both races rather than just the elder - they had progressed to a level of balance that the rest of the planet was aware of but which few outside government circles had yet managed to achieve. Kirk listened, interested despite himself, as Siobhan rather self-deprecatingly told them about what she'd learned, insisting that they'd be able to get a better version of the story from Sangneen's government.

"It was back when some of the Sangni were pushing for freedom. Among their number was a man called Elnon, a noble who was also something of a philosopher in his spare time. He treated the Mineen who lived and worked in his household as friends and equals and encouraged his mate and children to do the same, even making his children play with those of his Mineer steward who he'd promoted. As a result the family was rather ostracized, but," she shrugged, "that's progress for you. At any rate, Elnon's daughter Elara was probably the _first_ recorded Sangnar to form a symbiotic relationship with a Mineer. While they were growing up her favourite playmate was the eldest son of the steward, a boy called Fin who was around her age. Now," and she held up a finger again, only wobbling _very _slightly, "at this point it was normal and even encouraged for Sangni to feed widely from any Mineer that was on offer, although the taboo against adults feeding from children was already in place."

"But not the one about feeding from an unwilling victim." McCoy was still harping on about that.

"Sadly no, doctor; it was a rather dissolute time. Anyway, children of nobles were allowed to feed from the children of servants and the servants themselves, and Elnon's children were drinking the blood of their playmates even as they were interacting with each other. For whatever reason Elara came to favour Fin above all others, and when they reached maturity she declared that she would feed only from Fin and from no other Mineer, if he agreed; that he would be exclusively hers. This wasn't exactly uncommon either; nobles often had favourites, although sometimes those favourites didn't last all that long."

He couldn't help snorting into his latest glass. He bet they didn't.

"Well, Fin said yes and Elnon gave his permission and for a while that seemed to be it; but gradually he noticed that some changes had come about in his daughter. She'd been impetuous and even rather violent before her claiming of Fin, as was normal for almost all Sangni then; now she'd become far more restrained, rational and self-controlled, not only in her temperament but in her appetite. She could sometimes go for days without feeding at all, she could spend far longer doing complicated mental tasks, her mental acuity itself had increased; she'd become, in short, rather more than an ordinary Sangnar. Fin had changed too. He'd been fairly strong before but now he had reflexes and strength bordering on the prowess of the elder race when they were fully fed, a heightened sense of smell, an increase in speed, an ability to withstand more loss of blood, the works. Clearly something had happened between the two. Elnon confronted his daughter and made her tell him the truth. She confessed; when she had been feeding on Fin, as a show of the trust between them she had given him some of _her _blood to drink. Somehow the transfer of energy managed to work both ways, and it continued around and around; she gave Fin blood, it made him stronger, he gave her blood, it made her smarter, or more controlled which was really the same thing, and they went on and on until it began to show."

She took a swig of her cocktail after that last part. "Sorry. Getting a bit parched from all the talking." He tried to murmur that it was quite all right but she wasn't even paying attention to him, moving swiftly on. "It's more complicated than that, of course, but biology was never something I was particularly good at. Suffice it to say, they were tied together in a relationship of dependence, cooperation and trust, a relationship that benefited both of them. Elnon was pretty angry that they didn't tell him at first, but he forgave them and began working to use this as proof of the need for equality."

She held up two fingers in a v-sign, taking another gulp of her drink and then grinning in a way she wouldn't even have dreamed of five hours ago, wiggling her digits. "Then his _other_ two children got in on the act; obviously wanting to reap the same benefits they too managed to symbiotically bond with Fin's two siblings - somewhat to their father's displeasure when he found out he'd been disobeyed _again_, although he forgave them too, eventually. The youngest ones accomplished it even before they were fully matured. The second pairing was never as successful as the first, but the bond between Elara and Fin and the one between their youngest siblings flourished.

"It was one of the first steps in the revolution. Many Sangni were already aware that blood from a _willing_ donor was far more beneficial for the physical and mental condition of both sides. Now that it was discovered that feeding exclusively from and effectively linking with a Mineer had a plenitude of benefits, there was a rush to find out more. In the midst of the eventual ruling of freedom that was passed there were all sorts of investigations into the matter, theories and experiments. The second recorded bonding and further research showed that it wasn't enough that both participants be willing: they had to be emotionally invested in each other. Elara's brother and Fin's sister bonded on a whim and because they wanted the reward, but the youngest two bonded for the same reason Elara and Fin had done, they were friends, they had grown up together and they specifically chose each other. In order to orchestrate more successes in symbiosis, other noble families began doing as Elon's household had done."

"Is _that_ what these 'nobles' do, then?" McCoy paused while he drained his glass, holding it near the rim as always, before he went on. "Send their children out on play dates to find a soul mate?"

Kirk couldn't help but be glad that Spock wasn't here at this particular moment; this was beginning to all too regrettably sound like the arranged marriage customs of a certain rather depleted race.

"Rather crudely put, doctor, but somewhat accurate nonetheless. Most of the nobles of this present generation are successfully bonded, although I think that you're probably off the mark with your particular use of the phrase 'soul mate'. It implies something different than what the situation actually is."

"And what _is_ the situation, actually?"

"You'll see, doctor." She had closed off again. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. She was looking hard at her empty glass, before picking it up and asking rather loudly, "Can I get another one of these?"

Well, maybe this wouldn't be a lost cause after all.

* * *

Siobhan really was the most _polished_ drunk he'd ever come across, if she had even really crossed the line of intoxication yet. Even with sweat starting out on her forehead and upper lip her voice never slurred and she never lost the thread of the conversation; she never even stopped sitting up right.

"Hey, Siobhan, remember I was asking you about the last time one of those nobles went crazy?" He was feeling more than a little fuzzy in the head himself by now, but he'd carefully waited until the point where he felt that he could ask and he wasn't about to give up now just because he might be feeling the effects of those beers.

"Were you?" she replied, wiping her forehead and intently examining the back of her hand. It was probably just as well that she'd lost her cardigan long ago; Uhura had bundled it up on the table and was resting her head on it, all the while muttering that she _didn't _have a low tolerance for alcohol, Doctor Smart Ass, and McCoy was jovially reassuring her that of _course _she didn't while sipping what looked like his sixth julep. The man must have a stomach made of iron.

"Yep," he insisted.

"What about it?"

"Well, you said it happened about seven years ago. And you – you were first posted there, to Sangneen, I mean-" It was _so_ hard not to giggle at that rhyme – "about seven years ago."

She considered, sucking one of her cheeks in. "So?"

"_So_, what do you know about it?"

"Do you really want to know?"

_Success!!!_ "Of course."

She shrugged, one shoulder rather higher than the other. "All right, but I warn you, it ain't pretty." She threw back her head, chugged down the last of her latest drink, then sat back and folded her arms. "All right. When I first got posted there I was honoured enough to be assigned a noble bonded pair to show me around and explain everything, just as your group will be. My pair were the Prince Heran and the Lady Trea-"

"Wait, wait, they have a _monarchy_?"

"No, _no,_" she waved her finger at like she was a teacher and he was a naughty little boy who'd spoken out of turn, "prince is one of the terms for male nobility on the Sangni side of things; it's like Tzarist Russia, he wasn't _actually_ royal. And try not to interrupt, please, it's hard enough attempting to keep this simple enough for you."

"Sorry."

"_Thank _you. As I was saying, my pair were the Prince Heran and the Lady Trea. Heran and Trea were my introduction to symbiotic society and they were rather curious to my relatively inexperienced eyes; they seemed completely devoted to each other and Trea was about six months pregnant so at first I thought it was Heran's, since I knew interbreeding between the races was possible, although rare. But then Trea introduced me to this Mineer man who turned out to be her husband, and she was completely devoted to _him_ as well, only in a different way, so now I was just about as confused as your doctor was about the whole thing."

"Thank you kindly, ma'am." McCoy didn't take his eyes off the part of Uhura's back that he was rubbing in an effort to be comforting.

"It's _miss_ to you, doctor. Where was I? Oh, and even _I_ could tell, new and ignorant though I might be, that Heran didn't exactly like that. Trea and her husband being all lovey dovey, I mean. I can still remember watching him watching _them_ together and thinking, 'This can't possibly end well.' And I was right, it didn't-"

Kirk held up his hand for her to stop while he took a swig of his drink, and grinned at her when she frowned. He swallowed and said quickly, "Didn't interrupt you, did I? Go on, then; what happened?"

"Well. About a week after I arrived, all _hell_ suddenly broke loose. I got woken up in the small hours of the morning by a great big racket going on outside the embassy. Didn't have a clue what was going on even when they started posting more guards outside the embassy, but eventually I managed to find out that Heran'd gone to the chambers that Trea shared with her husband in the main palace, for some reason; bonded pairs often share the same room but not when one of them is pregnant, you see? Out of practically nowhere there'd been an argument, a fight; Trea's husband had been killed outright and Trea had been fed from so deeply that her body was…unable to sustain the baby. You understand? Poor woman nearly died herself, if she hadn't been joined she would have been killed too. Heran might actually have killed her without meaning to, but Herata - that's his younger sister - came upon them before it was too late and fought him, managed to drive him off. He fled from the palace."

"_Damn._ Did they catch him?" He poured some beer into an empty glass and shoved it towards her; she looked like she needed it. She caught the glass, drank it off and nodded with at least some gratitude before going on.

"Oh, _yeah_. His own family headed the hunt, not just to try and lift the shame that had fallen upon them because of what he'd done – carried out in the same square mile as a Federation ambassador, no less! - but because they were just as outraged as everyone else about what he had done to Trea. They soon caught him and dragged him back to the capital, to face punishment."

"So what happened to him?"

Siobhan snorted in a way that still somehow managed to be pretty. "What do you _think_ happened, Kirk? He'd broken three of the cardinal laws, perhaps even all four if you want to get technical. He caused two deaths with his thirst, that was bad enough, but he'd also fed from a pregnant woman, an _unwilling_ pregnant woman. And on top of all that was the complete and utter betrayal of she that was his other half, of everything they had been taught and everything he had sworn to respect and obey and uphold. He'd totally undermined that which had been so celebrated ever since this society was redefined, the idea of symbiosis and the mutual respect between the peoples. What he had done was deemed disgusting, repulsive."

Quite suddenly she turned and jabbed a finger into his chest, causing him to bite back an 'ow!' that would surely have sounded extremely childish. "You have to understand this _now_, Kirk; feeding from an unwilling person to these people is the worst kind of rape, not just physical but mental and spiritual. Energy is a gift, not to be forcibly taken but to be given gladly and willingly and to be accepted with gratitude and thanks. For Heran to do that, and to the person who placed all her trust and faith and devotion in him…let's just say it didn't take long to sentence him. I was there at his trial; they wanted me and the Federation to see that their justice was swift and inescapable. They took away his title, they sentenced him to eternal imprisonment, they did everything that they could to him, but it couldn't be worse than what he'd done to himself, when he knew that Trea would never be near him or touch him or talk to him or even _look _at him ever again. So sad."

She was looking at the glasses again now. He might be able to ask something else, but just then he heard a cough and he looked up to see a carefully blank first officer's face. Obviously meditation hadn't done a lot, if he'd even done it at all.

"Captain, may I inquire exactly _why_ Ambassador Siobhan appears to be in an advanced state of intoxication?"

Siobhan laughed at that, although, truth be told, it sounded more like a cough. "Thank you for your concern, Commander, but I'm _fine_. It'd take more than these two and this batch to drink me under the table, even if I _did_ feel I needed a night off." She reached out to snatch up a stray glass and put it back with the others, but knocked it clean off the table instead. Without missing a beat she sat back and folded her arms again, looking at them all that said in a manner all too clearly; yes, I happened to knock a glass off the table just now. Your point?

Spock, surprisingly, was the first to look away, although since his attention was clearly on Uhura that wasn't too much of a surprise. "Lieutenant, you are feeling unwell?"

"I'll not exactly as fine as Siobhan, Commander, but I will be." The look she gave him was enough to make him wonder, all over again, just how Spock had gotten so damn lucky.

"Then perhaps you have had enough for tonight. Might I escort you back to your quarters?" No doubt he already knew the answer would definitely be yes, but when Spock turned to look at _him _it made him want to start shouting _What are you looking at _me_ for? It's not like you _need_ my permission to spend the night with her! All right, maybe you _do_, sort of, or at least you need me to overlook it; but half the ship knows about it anyway, never mind how subtle you are about it, and _they_ don't seem to care! Go! Run! Be free! Make her hit the high notes; god knows _you_ need it in particular! _

Naturally he kept all _that_ firmly locked away as he grinned. "You'd better do as he says, Uhura; we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yes, captain. _Ahhh…_" Getting up apparently reinforced the queasiness, and logic obviously demanded that Spock take the lieutenant's arm to guide her from the room while she held on to him with her other hand. It was wretchedly adorable, and he found that he didn't mind admitting it.

"Sweet," McCoy remarked, looking at his glass as if pondering to get yet another.

"Yes, sweet." Siobhan stretched out her arms above her head. He tried not to look at all the other places where sweat had formed. "You know, I think you two could have a lot to learn from Sangneen philosophy."

"What? Like how take an extremely unhealthy interest in our children's future sex lives?"

"I didn't mean _you, _you old fart, though you probably do that anyway," she retorted without even blinking, "I meant the captain and his first officer. You get to know what to look for after a while, and I think it's there."

"What do you mean?" Was it that obvious how awkward he still was around Spock? But Siobhan merely laughed, less like a cough and more like a laugh was actually supposed to sound.

"Oh, you'll have to wait for _another_ opportune moment, captain, because even though I am certainly not drunk I have definitely had enough and am calling it a night. If the estimable doctor would escort me back to my quarters?"

"With pleasure," and it looked like McCoy actually meant it, even if Siobhan was as still as ram rod straight standing up as she was sitting down, right up until she leaned forward and nearly into his face with complete dignity.

"Treasure this evening while it lasts, Kirk; I'll probably dislike you more than ever in the morning. And it'll be back to Ambassador by then, Doctor McCoy, so don't try _anything_."

"Wouldn't dream of it, _miss_."

He couldn't resist, and he dared. "Good night, Siobhan. Hope you don't have too much of a hangover."

She snorted as McCoy all but marched her away from the table. "If I do, I'll hope that yours will be far worse than mine, Kirk."

**

* * *

**

Mint juleps were a favourite drink of McCoy's in TOS, and I again presume that this still holds true. I don't know how many of them you'd have to drink to get drunk; the alcoholic world is mostly a closed book to me. Never ask a tee-totaller to write a chapter involving alcohol.

**Hopefully the rest of the main cast will show up at some point, though at the moment it hard enough just to keep these four in character, even with hardly any lines!**

**Again apologies if the biology doesn't make sense; I personally don't think it's _too_ outlandish, given what other canon species can do.**


	3. Relief comes through the neck

**I apologise (I'm doing that a lot, aren't I?) if the last chapter was too weird. Probably Kirk and co. wouldn't **_**actually**_** set out to get an ambassador drunk, but it was funny. I plead guilty. Anyway, now we're going to Spock – whose point of view is **_**really**_** hard to write. Gah.**

* * *

**Relief comes through the neck**

He had never seen the point of drinking intoxicating substances, since they were an impediment to control and discipline and further more could have unpleasant side effects, if the sights he had seen on the few occasions he had passed outside Terran bars were any indication. That Nyota, a woman who was one of the most controlled Terrans he had ever met and actually gotten to know, could indulge in a pastime that left her groaning and desperately searching for cool things to rest her head against, was…puzzling. And disconcerting in this case, considering that unlike other times they shared in private she kept well away from him, saying that his high body temperature wasn't doing her headache any favours. Right now she was lying on the floor beside his bed so that they could still carry on a conversation, in a rather strange position which she claimed was helping her stomach settle, the pillow she had taken from his bed under her head.

"You _are_ aware that you could merely go to sick bay for a pain relief, or even a 'hang over cure', assuming that Doctor McCoy has such a thing in stock."

"Thank you for your support."

"If it is support you wish for, I am not certain that I can provide it on this occasion. I am unfamiliar with the process of dealing with hangovers. Or drunkards, for that matter."

"Spock, I am _not _drunk _or _hung over. It was just _one_ Cardassian Sunrise." There was a short silence from the floor after that, as if she was mentally battling not to lie to one who, theoretically, never lied. "Or maybe it was two, I can't quite remember."

"The fact that you cannot remember the exact number of Cardassian Sunrises that you imbibed implies that there was more than one." He took his eyes off the book balanced on his chest and leaned over the side of the bed to look down at her; one hand was pressed to her head and the other to her stomach. "And it would seem that even one was one too many."

"Oh come _on_, Spock! I was hardly a booze hound; Ambassador Siobhan drank _far_ more than I did!"

"The ambassador had moved in diplomatic circles for several years and has no doubt built up some immunity to liquid narcotics. You, however, have spent the last three years behaving as an exemplary representative of Starfleet Academy, rather than following the example of the average Terran student; consequently your abstinence from liquor has clearly left you with a distinct _lack_ of immunity."

"I don't care _what_ you theorize; two root beers and two C. Sunrises should _not _be making me feel this bad."

Concern flowered in his mind where bemusement and just a little bit of satisfaction at proving her illogic had grown before. Off from the bed and down by her side, careful to keep a distance least his body temperature cause her discomfort again but close enough so that he could easily reach out and feel the air above her forehead. Her temperature seemed normal, but still it was better to ask. "You are certain that you do not wish to go to sickbay?"

"Why? Do you think that something's wrong?"

"If you are determined that the amount you drank should not be enough to cause this reaction in you, we can assume that there is some component of the drinks that is causing your nausea and headache."

"You might be right. I haven't exactly drunk many Sunrises before, although I seriously doubt there's anything harmful in root beer. But Doctor McCoy didn't seem to think that anything was wrong, and I trust his judgement." She reached under her head and turned the pillow over, sighing as she sank back into the newly cool material. "He was really nice, you know, telling me I'd be fine and rubbing my back. He's a real gentleman."

"You are implying something?"

"No need to be concerned about me getting whisked off my feet by an even older man, Spock. No one else matches up to you." She tried to smile, but a sudden movement of her forehead and it was gone. "_Ouch_. Kirk sure doesn't, at any rate. I am _never _doing him a favour again. Ever!"

"You did not enjoy the evening?" He found himself interested despite his best attempts at control, dwelling more than was necessary on whether Nyota found more enjoyment in the company of others than in his own. And, while he no longer experienced what he had for James Kirk, he was still…wary.

"Oh, the evening was _fine_," which immediately led him to rethink the necessity of that which had troubled him, "it's the aftermath I'm having trouble with."

"Nyota." He put his hand by her head so that he could lean over her and so that she, in all good conscience, couldn't look away. "It is clear that you are in some discomfort, which you have even admitted to. It is illogical to continue thus; allow me to assist you."

She still appeared to be inclined to be stubborn, even now. But at length she sighed and nodded, stretching and curling towards him. "Okay." Her voice was softer now, less brash and more vulnerable. "Please. It hurts."

Now that she had finally agreed, he could rise and move over to where he had secreted the items he had obtained from the sick bay, and his hypo. "When I learned that you would be drinking this evening, I asked Doctor McCoy for a pain relief in the event that you would need one. He also provided me with a very mild sedative, and a solution to quell any nausea that you might feel."

"Quite the thorough doctor, our Mr. McCoy. I _wondered_ why he didn't offer me anything other than a backrub. No doubt he wanted to give me an opportunity to be waited on hand and foot by a certain 'hob goblin'. His words, not mine." She smiled up at him, hissed as the hypo released against her neck and then relaxed. "Thank you _so_ much. Oh, I feel so much better already."

"Do you wish for me to administer the other two?"

"Just the one for nausea, please; I want to stay awake and talk." Once the solution had been administered she rolled over onto one side and supported her head on her head, even as he sat back on his heels. "Did _you _have a good evening? Did you have a chance to meditate?"

He did not lie, and could not lie to her. "I did not. I was occupied and my thoughts were…conflicted." He saw the concern that sprang so readily to her face and reassured her. "I was considering the potential scenarios the away team could encounter on Sangneen, and any social or political customs that the team must be briefed upon in order not to cause offence to our hosts. And I was…" He did not like to admit this, but this was Nyota, who had admitted so much to him. "I was preparing myself for the task of going amongst the Sangnar in particular."

She considered this, and then he saw her understand. "Ah. Their diet. I _thought _you looked a little queasy earlier when you were telling Kirk the specifics."

"You thought erroneously. But…you would not be inaccurate. The possibility that a sentient species could feed primarily on blood, and on the blood of _another _sentient species, is…unthinkable." He had never even _seen_ meat being eaten until he had come to Earth; the very thought of a being drinking another being's blood actually made him feel faint, no matter how hard he tried to control the weakness.

"When I first learned about them I was a bit shocked too, I just couldn't help it. But you have to admit, it makes sense; they evolved on a planet where much of the wildlife had very hard exoskeletons and rather juicy innards, so logically the top predators would develop a way to get at all that nutrition with the least amount of effort."

"Logically." It did not take away his feeling of faintness, but it aided his control of that faintness by a large amount.

"Still, even when you think about it in terms like that, it's still disconcerting. I suppose nobody really likes vampires in reality, for all that they swoon over them in fiction. Do they have vampire stories on-" She stopped herself before the name, but he had to resist what came over him nevertheless. He clamped down upon the crumbling rocks, the tremors, the desperate running, the fierce hope, his mother's face, his mother's eyes, his mother's scream, that last sight of everything falling into itself and vanishing leaving nothing, _nothing_.

She did not say she was sorry. He knew that she was, she did not need to say it any more times. But she rose up to rest on her own heels so that their knees touched, and pulled him forward by his shoulders so that his head rested in the hollow between her throat and shoulder. It was a part of her body that he had become familiar with and knew well, and he was content to stay there. For a time.

"So, there is Terran literature featuring vampires over which people swoon?" He felt the rumble of laughter brimming in her chest as one hand moved from his neck to further down his back, and as she moved her legs to bring him closer to her.

"Over which females swoon, to be precise. Apparently some Terran women get a _big_ thrill from the idea of a dark haired, pale, brooding, incredibly attractive man who has an unholy interest in their neck."

"Really."

"Really. Oh, and you should _see_ some of the things people used to write. My room-mate was obsessed with romantic literature, if you could even _call_ it that, from Earth's history. She used to read passages out loud when she'd stopped laughing. She always wondered what sharing a bed with someone who was 'cold all over' would be like. And then we'd start laughing again."

"I fail to understand how the possibility of being completely drained of blood by a being with an extremely low body temperature would be at all humorous. Or…erotic, for that matter." Her skin was soft, and so warm, and the taste of her pulse so soothing, and her shoulder blades fit his hands perfectly as she pressed against him.

"You would if you read some of those books…which I highly recommend you don't."

"I see. I will follow your recommendation."

**

* * *

**

Writing romance that is non-melodramatic is quite hard.

**Writing from the point of view of someone like Spock is even harder. But I try, dangit, I try.**

**Most Vulcans are vegetarians, and judging by the way that T'Pol chews out Archer and Tucker in Broken Bow for, OMG, being savages because they eat **_**meat (**_**I have **_**nothing**_** against vegetarians; I, do, however, feel just a tad of annoyance when someone tries to deny the basic fact that humans are omnivorous) I generally get the idea that, even with IDIC, they still secretly view the idea of eating anything that used to have a face as rather barbaric. So a species that swigs blood on a daily basis would, understandably, be a bit of a trial for them no matter how much control they had. **

**This chapter contains **_**no**_** criticism of contemporary vampire literature at all. Nope. Nuh-uh. None at all. (Runs for the hills.)**

**Next chapter we're **_**finally **_**going to meet these species that everyone's so hyped up about, I promise! **


	4. You're not going out looking like that

**Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed so far! And now it's time for what we've come to see; social gaffes and potentially creepy natives!**

**

* * *

**

You're not going out looking like that

_We welcome you to Sangneen, Enterprise. We anticipate the return of Ambassador Siobhan and your representatives._

That was all that they had said, but it was to her! _Her!_ All right, it wasn't as if Sangneen was a newly discovered world and she was the first off worlder _ever_ to speak with them, which she certainly wasn't, but whoever had been at the other end had sounded impressed that she even knew their language, even if she might not have some of the accents down just yet. She wanted to get down there. She wanted to prove that she could say more than just a few greetings. She wanted to talk to people who had been raised speaking a language other than Standard, a language that might not be as ancient as Vulcan or as influential as English but was perfectly suited to its own purpose, lyrical and musical. She had heard that there were other dialects that had even never made it off the planet, like the millennia old tomes of the Sangni tongue that had gradually transmuted into the one that was now used on the planet today, and the words that were only used between teachers and pupils; and the language from when the Mineen had been slaves and had angrily, resentfully refused to speak the tongue of their masters, teaching the letters in secret and keeping their stories alive. She doubted she'd get a chance to learn _that _one, assuming there was anyone left who even spoke it, but perhaps she might be allowed to sit in on some lectures and get an idea of the grammar of learning.

She was so excited that she felt as if that solution for nausea hadn't done its job as well as it should have. She had suggested this to Spock earlier, but all that had gotten her was the Vulcan equivalent of disbelief that she could believe _he_ would administer something to _her_ without being certain of what it was or whether it would fulfil its purpose. After that she had just dropped it.

Ambassador Siobhan had obviously swallowed her pride, just as she herself had when faced with the logic of the one man she couldn't and did not want to refuse, and acquiesced to the attentions of the good doctor. Now she strode into the transporter room and past a staring Scotty, impeccably attired in her ambassadorial outfit, although the outfit itself was rather looser in style than was usual and she had thrown something very like an open kimono over the whole thing. Watching her in all her finery she couldn't help but feel rather gaudy in her bright red dress that didn't even reach her knees and her shiny black boots; next to this display of authority she knew very well she didn't look very serious or grownup, she looked like a child and a rather young one at that. The flowing style of the outfit and the amount that it covered also made her faintly worried; she knew that they'd be transporting into a section of the Federation embassy and not directly into the full environment of Sangneen, but she was beginning to feel that their uniforms wouldn't exactly be able to help them deal with the heat and humidity of the planet if they set so much as one foot outside the embassy's climate controlled walls.

Siobhan didn't look too pleased to see that Kirk was in the room too, standing on the other side of Spock – he knew when not to push her, considering what she'd gone through to 'help' him - and grinning like anything. "Coming to see me off, captain, or are _you_ accompanying us as well?"

"The transmission Lieutenant Uhura received half an hour ago _did_ say that they'd be perfectly willing to entertain the newest captain in Starfleet who also happened to be another of the saviours of the Federation. It'd be pretty insulting to the inhabitants of Sangneen if I refused."

She almost wished she hadn't told him that part; he looked so obnoxiously smug while saying it, and she still wasn't feeling generous towards him. She felt pretty flattered that Siobhan looked over at _her,_ of all people, to roll her eyes at. At least she didn't seem to blame her for what had happened last night. She nodded slightly in reply. Yes, I know, he's an idiot; just be glad you don't have to put up with him for that long.

"Very well, though they obviously have _no_ idea what they're letting themselves in for. I assume you've all been fully prepped on Sangneen custom, and even if you haven't once we get down there you'll be assigned a noble pair, as I said. I don't know which pair you'll get, but it'll most likely be the Princess Ienna and the Lord Etan; they're being trained for off world diplomatic service so you should all be good practice, and if you make any mistakes they won't mind." She seemed to rethink that last part. "Or at least not much, depending on what exactly it is that you hopefully won't do."

She moved over to stand in front of the three of them, clasping her hands and _still _managing to gesture with them. "Now, one last thing; when we get down there the Mineen who are present will greet you, but not the Sangni. They've learned that people who aren't expecting it don't always like it."

"Who _wouldn't_ like someone with fangs sniffing their neck?"

Siobhan didn't look like she appreciated yet another wisecrack from her yellow jacketed nemesis, but she ignored him. "The Mineen greeting goes like this." She lifted her right hand to her neck, so that the back of her hand was pressed against her left side of her throat and her fingers spread outwards and forwards in what, she couldn't help noticing, looked very much like a state of defence, as if the ambassador were trying to keep the face of someone, or something, away from her jugular.

"Purely traditional now, of course," she went on, dropping her hand slightly.

Kirk looked over at her, and it was pretty obvious that he had been thinking something along the lines of her train of thought. "What did it mean back in the day, then?"

"Basically, captain, it was a gesture the newly freed Mineen adopted to assert that they actually _had_ freedom. It started off as something of a defensive action towards any Sangnar that looked as if they were willing to push back the clock. 'You have no power over me', if you will."

"An unfortunate connotation for a gesture that is meant to symbolize welcome and trust." Spock looked a little queasy again, although anyone who didn't know him – and she told herself desperately that she wasn't one of that number – would not have guessed it. Nobody likes vampires. People want their blood to stay on the inside of their skin.

"True, Commander, but that's just the first part of it. The second part is this." Siobhan now lowered her arm so that it rested just over her left breast, her palm up and the fingers of the hand no longer like claws but curled and relaxed; altogether a much more welcoming gesture. "When greeting each other officially, a Sangnar waits until the Mineer has completed this gesture; only then can they approach and carry out their part of the greeting. For pairings and intermarriage there's a bit more, but this is all you'll need to know."

"Pardon me, ambassador," (she felt it couldn't hurt to show Siobhan the respect Kirk didn't seem that willing to give) "do _we _have to make this gesture? Since we aren't Mineen?"

Siobhan smiled at her, which no doubt annoyed Kirk to no end; a double bonus. "No, it doesn't extend to off worlders; a simple handshake will do, only remember, don't grip their lower arms. And whatever you think is best to do, Commander." She nodded to Spock and had stepped onto the transport platform before Spock even had time to raise an eyebrow. "Let's get down there, then. I've been on this ship long enough; I need to feel the ground beneath my feet again!"

"You're mad, you know, Lady Ambassador," Scotty – Kirk kept calling him that, and annoyingly enough it had stuck - called from the operating room. "Who needs solid ground, when you can have a lady like _this_ all around you?"

Nyota missed what Siobhan said next as she was making sure she had all she required in her bag while stepping onto the transport at the same time, but whatever she had said made Scotty roar with laughter, and when she chanced a glance at Spock as he moved to stand beside her he looked at her and then quickly away as if he did not trust himself. Kirk hopped up last of all with that exasperating grin on full, shouting out something like 'Beam us down, Scotty!" Damn, he was such a _child_.

A child who could make her laugh, even if she didn't want to. She was smiling even as she felt the tingle of the transport begin. A rush, and a tingle – and then warmth.

She looked around her quickly, as all cadets are trained to do when beamed down to a possibly hostile environment, even though this was far from hostile. She got a quick view of a high ceiling of some sort of pale stone, different coloured stone upon the walls, a dark floor made of something that looked like marble, and a lot of light, and then there were the figures that Siobhan was already rushing towards. And they were…

She had seen a picture of a Sangnar before, a female, fairly young and quite pretty. She had admired her delicate colouring and platinum hair but had found her pale yellow near white skin, matched with her golden eyes, to be slightly…well, it would be stupid to think unearthly or other worldly, so…_fey_. She found that she liked that word, as a way of encompassing something both beautiful and dangerous. She had formed this opinion even before she had learned the species behind the face. She had seen a picture of a Mineer too, but that had certainly not instilled her with such a feeling of apprehension. Perhaps it was simply because, ashamed as she was to admit it, the Mineen looked more human in terms of skin colour and general appearance.

The first thing she noticed, really noticed, about the people standing before them, was that the Sangi had far thinner faces than she would have expected or had guessed from the single picture she had seen of their species; their cheeks were quite hollow when compared to the plumper faces of their companions. Of course, that was because they didn't have any molars. They didn't exactly need them, after all.

Siobhan had reached the two who stood side by side at the front of the group, and she watched as they went through the motions, clearly delighted to see each other. The female, quite a bit shorter than her companion, 'tested her scent' and then stood back as her counter part made his gesture, and then the rest of them were doing it as the three of them stood back, a bit over awed by this huge cluster greeting. But it was over fast and the attention soon turned to them; the first man and woman came forward holding out their hands and near beaming with welcome. She could see that the woman deliberately retracted her fangs as she made her way towards them, though, and even then if you weren't expecting it seeing those still sharp teeth in that attractive face could give you quite a shock. Spock took a near imperceptible step in front of her and she could hear Kirk draw in a hiss of breath even as he smiled in return. Nobody likes vampires; she couldn't help thinking that again and again.

If their hosts noticed their discomfort they were obviously used to it, or perhaps just polite. They both spoke at the same time in fair but slightly clipped Standard, acknowledging their valour and bidding them welcome to Sangneen. Unlike the circumstances of other joined pairs that she had heard of they didn't speak in evident sequence, and thank the lord they didn't finish each others sentences because that could get annoying _really_ fast. They had an equal share; after the greeting the female had introduced them as Duren and Cerean – his name before hers, though it would be the other way around if he had been the one who had made the introductions, and without titles, which all accorded with what she knew. Duren went on to say that any crew member of the Enterprise was welcome to visit the embassy and the city in which it was situated, although he advised that anyone who came should stay in short parties when going out so that it would be easier for their guides.

And as he said the words 'guides' and he and Cerean parted to let the two through, she knew at once that they were _not_ getting the Princess Ienna and the Lord Etan as their noble pair. Flowing sleeves and beaded corsets and embroidered slippers, the girls seemed to be dressed in the height of their planet's fashion and made her feel more childish than ever even if they seemed to be about the same age as her; she felt younger than they looked. And when they looked at _her_ they quickly ran their tongues across their lips at exactly the same moment. That was frankly pretty eerie despite the mundane nature of the action, but it wasn't nearly as bad as when they started speaking.

"We are Demita and Taina." "Or Taina and Demita." "We do not mind what you call us." "It is the same either way." "We have heard much of you." "You are relatively well known on this planet." "We will be happy to guide you. "And to show you all that Sangneen has to offer."

It was the sort of rapid-fire switch between speakers that should, by all rights, sound mechanical, like the voice of the ship's computer, but they sounded perfectly cheerful handing over to each other after they had finished a sentence. Then there was a pause as they stared, expectantly, at a rather pleased though puzzled looking Kirk.

"Oooo…_kay." _Could you _try_ to sound any less like a newly appointed Star Fleet captain, Kirk? "I wasn't aware that joined pairs could be of the same gender."

"Why not, captain?" "The third recorded bonding was between two females." "There is no barrier when it comes to sharing." "Any two may be joined."

They didn't seem to be in any hurry to say which of them was which, although it was pretty easy if you knew the naming customs of the planet. And, oh joy, it definitely seemed as if _these _two might be forever be finishing each other's sentences. It wasn't until their hosts had said their farewells and hustled Siobhan out of the great hall, for there were already apparently many things that required her attention, that they blinked – again at exactly the same time - and Demita opened her mouth again, and thankfully she kept speaking instead of letting her partner take over straight away.

"We are sorry. We forget that off worlders are made anxious when we do that. To be honest, even our family is slightly worried. They keep telling us that we do not need to switch with every sentence."

It was Taina's turn now. "We try to remember, but sometimes we forget until we remember again. It is hard to go against what now seems natural for us. Nevertheless, we will try not to do it in front of you. Attempt to think of it as one more eccentricity in a planet that seems full of them to your eyes."

"Hey, no problem."

"As long as they achieve their purpose, it does not matter to me what methods you use to explain."

"I understand."

The two looked pleased and they smiled. Demita…_hadn't_ retracted her fangs. Perhaps she'd just forgotten. "Good! Now, we have been told to keep you entertained and to show you our planet in the times between the requirements of your presence by our elders; but if you are planning to step outside this embassy in _those _clothes then you are very much mistaken if you believe that we will let you."

"Why?" Kirk pulled at his sleeve and looked over at her and Spock, as if only wondering now about the nature of the uniforms. "These are standard outfits for Star Fleet; I shouldn't think we'd be breaking any dress codes."

"They break no codes, true, and are acceptable in appearance to a point; but they are designed for being worn in _space, _in climates to which you are accustomed, rather than to our own_._" The pair had separated, Demita moving to their left and Taina to their right, both of them folding their arms in what seemed the same instant and mirroring each other. Taina looked closer at Kirk's top and sighed, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Demita shake her head. She herself already felt gaudy enough but Kirk clearly didn't like being under this particular kind of scrutiny, and she could tell Spock was not impressed by this at all. "It will not do, captain, it will not do at all. If you went outside this building during the day wearing such things you would _melt_. Our planet can be treacherous in its heat and humidity. You will all need to dress accordingly."

"There are clothes that the embassy staff wear when they venture outside in order to fulfil their tasks or interact with our people; we will help you to choose from them so that you are respectably attired ."

"I thank you for your concern, but I see no need for such a venture. I am capable of withstanding high temperatures-"

Both of them cut him off with a raised hand. "High, _dry _temperatures. We do not know how you would fare out there, Commander Spock, but we _do_ know that, if not attired properly, off worlders tend to collapse out in the high heat. And it would be no benefit to us if you collapsed while under our guidance."

He said nothing for a beat of her heart, two, and then his eye went to her. She could guess what he was thinking; that it was not logical to argue against something that could protect her from harm and discomfort. Then she saw the white of his eye and knew he was looking at Kirk. "I have no objections, captain, if you do not."

"I don't think this dress is really cut out for the heat, anyway," she added, just to get her own opinion in."

Kirk sighed, but the grin was back again. "I suppose it's time for a new wardrobe, then."

* * *

The pair showed them to their rooms; Spock and Kirk were right across the hall from her which was some comfort, and also out of ear shot, which was also something of a comfort. She was familiarizing herself with the plumbing in the ensuite bathroom, which showed that people on Sangneen were quite keen on baths and assumed that other species were too, when Taina came back in with an armful of clothes and volunteered to help her try them on. As they worked through the pile finding out what suited her and what didn't she tried out her vocabulary and Taina encouraged her or pointed out when she made a mistake; by the time they were on the last one they were joking in a mixture of Standard and Sangneen.

"Is Demita doing the same thing with the boys?" she asked, as her helper fastened the brooches that held the sleeves of the dress together on her arms.

"She has brought them clothes. She would not go so far as to help them attire themselves or to watch them do it, especially not Commander Spock; we know our limits."

That was good. She knew it was very like jealousy, but she felt that seeing Spock without the barriers of his uniform, or indeed any barrier at all, was a sight that she wanted to keep for herself. It was when he seemed so vulnerable and yet so powerful; a contradiction that made such perfect sense. Of course it was rather undermined by the fact that Spock was probably changing in front of Kirk. At least he was probably taking it more calmly than if _she _was changing in front of Kirk; she had a feeling that Spock, despite his denials, was quite jealous when it came to her body as well.

Something only just occurred to her now; Taina had spoken about the pair knowing their limits when it came to the men, particularly Spock. She looked over her shoulder at her, still intent on the brooches. "Pardon, Taina; what did you mean by that last statement?"

Taina finished her work and stood back with an appraising air, nodding a little before she answered. "We cannot treat Commander Spock with familiarity if we wished to, which we do not. He is already deep within another, that is you, and thus you both consider it a threat. If we had known we would have given you appropriate rooms, but perhaps it is better if you wish to remain in this state. Are you well, Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Yes. Yes, I am fine." Words, so often her tool, now seemed to have decided to take a holiday. She moved away from Taina, stepping up onto the dais that the bed was set on to give herself some advantage of height, however false it was. It was never easy when privacy was invaded. "I suppose…you smelled it?"

"You with he, and he with you," Taina replied, saying the phrase used to describe the Sangneen version of a relationship like theirs, however unacknowledged it might be. "We shared ourselves only this morning, so it was easier for us both to understand what it was that we scented. Off worlder smells are confusing to many, we are likely the only two who discerned it." She tilted her head to one side, still calm in the face of the indignation that was working up from her stomach. "And now I can tell, again by that sharing, that you are angry that we know and that I have spoken of it. Do you think that we have been spying upon you?"

"No. Yes. It does seem very like it." She didn't like being so bare, so open. She'd learned that being open was a danger with anyone but one person, and now this woman – these women had literally sniffed out their secret and were all but throwing it in her face.

"Lieutenant Uhura, my kind and my other's kind do not have the benefits of _telepathy _and its shields against unpleasantness. We cannot simply ignore our senses; that would defy the point of our sharing, it might even be potentially fatal. So yes, we could not help but scent you with he and he with you, but we would _never_ speak of it without your permission. That is not our way."

That helped to calm the burning that had risen in her cheeks. She longed to have the same control over her reactions that he did. "I am sorry. It was rude of me to accuse you. I apologize."

"It is no trouble." Taina picked up a hair brush and proffered it to her. "Our mother on my other's side was one of those to greet the first visitors, mostly Terrans. The smell of their nervousness was enough to drive her near to distraction, and she unconsciously prepared to meet danger. They actually thought that she might _feed_ from them, and then there was much trouble. You have all done a good job so far of trying not to be nervous. And, I think, so have we."

She couldn't deny that, and she could only hope that it would last.

Kirk barrelled through the door as she was considering if she should do anything with her hair and thinking at the same time how ridiculous it was to be worried about such a thing, followed by Spock with Demita bringing up the rear. The men were dressed in less grand versions of the welcoming outfits their male hosts had worn, light trousers underneath knee length, loose sleeved tunics barely pulled in at the waist with sashes, and rather amusingly they were the same colours as the uniforms that had been put aside for the moment. Now that she thought about it, most of the clothes Taina had brought for her were some shade of red, so perhaps the pair were making up for the fact that they were essentially obliged to dress in accordance with the planet's fashions. Even as Kirk was making some random comment about her new outfit Spock had marched across the room and stopped at the edge of the dais, giving her dress an appraising stare before meeting her eyes – it wasn't often that their heads were on a level. She liked the different shades of blue upon him, the deep Star Fleet tone broken up by the lighter sash and trousers.

"You both look pretty good."

"Thank you, lieutenant. You are also acceptable."

"That's good to know." She could see that the pair had moved to stand together again, and once again they licked their lips. She didn't know how she felt about the way their eyes went from her to Kirk to Spock and back again, and again, and again.

**

* * *

**

If you want an idea of what a Sangnar looks like think of Nuada or Nuala from the Golden Army, only with more hollow cheeks and without those rather odd scars over their noses. I can't help it; that character design stayed in my head. Mineen more closely resemble humans, although there are some differences in the shape of the nose, ears and hands; Mineen have only three fingers on each hand.

**And seriously; those outfits on the old show and even in the new film don't look very suitable for running around in on a hot planet. They're all tight and clingy. Which is probably why we like them, but still…**


	5. I think I've lost my appetite

**Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed!****

* * *

**

**I think I've lost my appetite**

The robes made Kirk feel like he was walking around in a dressing gown over his night wear, but he had to admit that they were actually _really_ comfy, and very good for sprawling on cushions in. He missed sprawling; he didn't get to do it nearly enough in this new job since he always got the guilty feeling that he should be sitting upright in his captain's chair. It was a feeling he often ignored, but still, it was there.

Spock, of course, wasn't sprawling in the slightest; if he sat any more straight you could use him as a ruler. Uhura _was_ sprawling just a little, and so were their oh _so_ lovely hostesses as they explained the rather large spread of food they had brought with them from the palace, pointing out which dishes were which and what they would be expected to eat should they be invited to any province banquets, which they most likely would, Demita told them cheerfully; simply _everyone _would want to celebrate that the Federation had been saved - even those who didn't particularly want their planet to join it, because otherwise they'd look extremely ungenerous.

"It's not that they _dislike_ the Federation," Taina was saying now, after she'd pointed out some vegetarian dishes for Spock's benefit so that he could remember what they looked like and so could serve himself at a banquet without asking for aid, "they greatly admire your ability to promote unity and co-operation between different species. But they are wary of a decision that could have serious results. They fear what connection with you might bring."

"They are concerned that even association with and certainly acceptance into the Federation will attract unwanted aggression from the Klingon Empire, or possibly the Romulan Star Empire." Demita handed a plate she had been loading with food to Uhura before she continued. "Since we are situated in such a position in space that it would be relatively easy for attack or invasion forces to be sent from either empire, you can understand these concerns."

"Yet if you do not join the Federation, you also fear the possible risk that the Klingons or the Romulans will, in time, turn their attention to this planet in any case?" Spock didn't seem inclined to start eating, and since Taina was sitting directly opposite the first officer and happily digging into a plate piled high with portions from the various meat dishes he couldn't exactly blame him. He wondered if the Mineen favoured a meat diet; probably the noble ones did if they were being fed from on a regular basis and needed to keep their blood count up. He noted that Uhura was trying not to look as if she was picking at her plate but was definitely avoiding the meat, and received his own plate with some guilt.

He still started eating what he had been given, though. No way was he letting a meal like _this _go to waste.

"Oh, yes." Demita was sitting back now with a plate in her hands as well, which was a bit odd considering she couldn't eat solid food, but perhaps she was just putting them at her ease. Or maybe she was even going to hand feed Taina, or something like that? "Or any who might set their desires upon our world and what they might take from it. And then, of course, there are those who fear that our way of life will be damaged by too much association with cultures substantially different to our own. They fear loss of balance; they fear the Federation itself."

Why? He'd been meaning to ask, but Demita popped something dark and wet into her mouth just then and he though he should wait until she did…whatever it was she was going to do with it. She pursed her lips so that he could see the white of her teeth behind them and her jaw hardened, and then her mouth opened and she took the thing out again and placed it on the other side of the plate. His eyes followed its progress and he _could _help seeing that it had rather decreased in size and gone very dry, only now realising that it looked rather like what was left of a piece of raw meat.

He looked up at Demita's face again, just in time to see her put another piece in her mouth and tense her jaw and lips again. He was close enough to her that this time he could swear he heard a faint _hissing _sound, like someone very far away drinking something through a straw. She pulled the shrivelled bit of flesh out once more and put it on her plate beside the other one, and then she turned to him and god _damn _if she didn't run her tongue across her teeth in a way that was both somewhat terrifying and unbelievably sexy. He could see that her teeth were tinged purple by what she had just taken from her snack and the reality slammed into his mind, all at once, that this gorgeous, spooky looking woman really _had_ sucked all of the bloody juice out of the meat and had enjoyed it, and just _think _what she could do to something larger and bipedal-

It clicked that she had shown him something, something important. He managed to meet her eyes. "Sorry. Guess I'm just one example of the Federation's opinion, huh?"

"Oh, yes," she said again, putting her plate down and placing a covering over it; its part was over and he got the feeling that he'd just passed some sort of test. Or least hadn't failed it. Exactly. "From the very first contact we have had with other species, we have been aware that our method of feeding has been viewed with some distaste by those who consume solid food."

"We do not mind, as such." Taina had already cleared her plate and was reaching for another helping of something that looked faintly like chicken, except for the colour. "My kind, in the days before joining and understanding, saw my other's kind as monsters, demons, dark nightmares. So we can understand why you are uncomfortable when being confronted with such a culture as ours." The two of them had moved so that they were sitting side by side now, Taina eating again now she had said her piece and Demita pouring out some sort of fruit juice and putting it in front of her partner. Kirk noticed she was now watching Taina enjoy her second helping with a rather keener interest than he would have expected, pushing a dish of something within easy reach and topping up her plate whenever the amount on it started to decrease. It almost looked as if she was ensuring that she would get well fed later on and he'd better stop that train of thought _right this instant._

He didn't know where to look – he certainly wasn't going to spy on whatever Spock and Uhura were doing to his left, and he didn't want to get caught staring at their hosts fussing over each other. He found that he rather disliked being a third wheel. Or a fifth wheel, or whatever the heck he was. He finished off his meal and put the plate back on the low table, and then since it didn't seem that the others had finished eating yet he took advantage of the comfy robes and the even comfier cushions to snuggle down and quickly fill his slouching quota up to maximum and beyond.

Now that he had the chance to examine it, he had to concede that this was a really pretty room; a high ceiling like most of the rooms in this building seemed to have and lots of marble columns – or at least some sort of stone that looked very much like marble – on the edge of it that led out to a strange patio thing that in turn gave quite a good view of the valley this house perched on the side of. It did look very hot outside, but it was cool and shady in here and he was positive he could hear a fountain trickling away somewhere else nearby. The whole impression was like something out of the Arabian Nights. It was…nice. He didn't think he'd ever been in a place quite like this before, and he was more than willing to stay a little longer.

"Captain?"

He seriously hoped that he hadn't been asleep and just looked as if he had been thinking hard. He managed to open his eyes gracefully and ask "Yes?", hopefully without looking too much like an idiot. He'd probably failed; Spock had one eyebrow raised (although admittedly that didn't mean much) Uhura looked as if she were doing all that she could not to roll her eyes and the pair had their heads on one side again. He pulled himself up and asked again, "Yes?" wondering who it was who had spoken.

"We were wondering-" It had been Demita, then – "-what, having finished your meal, you would all like to do now. We have some time until your presence is required by our elders."

He considered this. What would he like to do? This was something that rarely came up when someone was asking him about his opinion. In the past three and a bit years he'd been told what he _ought_ to like to do, he'd been told what he _had_ to do, and he'd been told what he shouldn't have done. Even when it came to his own choices concerning the ship they'd been made under the weight of duty and expectation, not from any real personal preference.

What would he like to do? Well, for one he wouldn't monopolize the decision. "What would you recommend?"

"We could show you the city, if you wished. There are several art galleries and public gardens which previous visitors have enjoyed. Or, if you preferred, we could take you on a visit to the province university; our studies are over for the moment, but I am certain that they would permit you to look around with us as your guides." Both Uhura and Spock looked interested at this prospect, and he supposed that if it fell to a vote he'd look pretty selfish, not to mention spoiled, if he said he didn't want to go.

"Or…" Taina rested her chin upon her hand, her eyes looking upwards. "My old school is putting on a choral display. It would be a good opportunity for you to see our culture on a more intimate level, and the choir has always been deemed as an experience not to be missed."

Now, _that_ was interesting; it was perhaps the first time he'd heard either of them refer to themselves without referencing the other; no 'we' or 'our', just 'I' and 'my'. He almost felt the urge to say something like 'fascinating', but then again, that was Spock's line. He didn't feel that he quite dared take it.

"That sounds like fun." Dang, Uhura's face had practically lit up. He knew that she enjoyed music and singing, he had made it his business to know that even if it wasn't his business any more, and it looked as if she might actually enjoy this. And he might enjoy it too, so what the hell?

"If you want to go, Uhura, I wouldn't mind." She didn't exactly smile but she did nod to him, which was a step up to the way she'd been treating him so far today; apparently she didn't have as strong a stomach for drink as she'd thought and for some reason she was blaming _him_. Not that he was going to argue the matter. Uhura always knew when she was right. Even when she was wrong.

"What about you, Spock?"

"Attending the choral display would be an acceptable activity, captain." Nope, definitely still no warmth there. Kirk felt a sudden rush of something deep in his gut that he squashed as quickly as any Vulcan would do. He was trying, heaven and what lay beyond it knew, but Spock just wasn't making it easy for him. Well, now he knew what old Spock was talking about when he was telling him what 'great friends' they were. If Spock was _this_ difficult back in the other universe it must have taken nothing short of a miracle to get him to open up.

"Then it is settled. The heat will diminish in a little while; while it does we will make arrangements for you to accompany us." Taina stood up and stretched her shoulders back, moving away as Demita stood up in turn. "You may go on eating or rest your meals as you wish; we will leave you in peace for now."

"Please, do not hesitate to call us if anything troubles you." They turned and walked out onto a shadowed portion of the patio. He waited until he was pretty sure they were out of ear shot before he turned to the others.

"What do you think of them so far, then?"

"An intriguing pair, captain. They seem to be almost perfectly aligned with each other, even without the benefit of minds touching. I am curious as to what the rest of paired society is like if they are merely one example."

Uhura didn't look too happy to be talking behind their backs, but she contributed to the conversation nonetheless: "They could be listening, you know; they have heightened senses."

"I'm sure they won't mind, Uhura. For all we know they're probably listening in on us as well."

"Surely not, captain; from what we have seen of them they seem quite honourable-"

"What are they doing?" Uhura no longer sounded embarrassed but surprised. He looked over to where her eyes were straining.

The two of them were still standing on the patio, but Taina had moved more into the sunlight while Demita remained in the shade, almost as if she didn't like the light; a great contrast of the light on dark and the dark around light. Demita had her left hand on Taina's right arm – weren't they warned not to touch their lower arms? – and Taina had her bared left arm held up, from what he could see anyway, because Demita's white gold head was in the way, turned to the wrist. He could just see the Mineer's three fingers amidst the Sangnar's hair, not gripping but perhaps…caressing. Taina's eyes were closed, not quite in the way people's eyes generally closed when they were having sex but still as if she were enjoying something pleasurable. Demita's hand was running up and down her arm quite slowly, not with any rush.

He suddenly felt as if he shouldn't be watching this, and yet that he should be. He really should be.

**

* * *

**

I have to admit this; I am not a major Trekkie fan. I enjoyed the shows to various points, I had and still have favourite characters and episodes, but I never attempted to understand all the techno babble, nor the way in which things in this universe fit together. So I have no idea where the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire lie in relation to Federation space, or where the neutral zones are, or anything. I also don't know if conflict or even contact had been made with the Romulan empire at this point in history, but judging by what Pike says in the film when talking to Nero, I'm thinking 'yes'. And it's only going to get more interesting from there…


	6. Pondering in the street

**First off; thanks to everyone who's written a review for this thing, even just to say that you liked it, or if you went into more detail about exactly why you liked it. I am immensely grateful.**

**Second off; as I've said before, it's quite hard to write from Spock's point of view, so much so that it's easier to describe his views of what's happening around him rather than what he's thinking and feeling. This is why it took so long for this chapter. That and my little holiday. I'm just sorry the chapter's so relatively short.**

**Third off: I don't own this. But you already knew that. **

**

* * *

**

Pondering in the street

It was hard. He had not thought that there could be hardness such as this. It was not just the dampness of the air – he had thought of Earth as a water world, but the water content of _this_ air made him feel for a moment as if he were drowning and he had swiftly reformed his opinions – or the increase of gravity that had hit them as soon as they had stepped out of the embassy, an increase that had made Kirk and Nyota gasp.

It was the people. The people all around him, people that did not jostle but still crowded about he and his companions and their guides. The people who talked and laughed and gossiped in confusing, illogical ways all about them, who bought and sold and traded, who carried their purchases in their arms or sometimes in curious mechanical carts with many legs, a blend between the old and the new. It was not even so much the pale Sangni with their yellow hair and skin that tested his control, even though they wore the same clothes, the same styles as their companions; it was the Mineen that tore at his restraint. Even with the lack of fingers, the different shape of their ears and the colour of their skins, and their smiles – they smiled so much, for a race who willingly gave up their blood! – from the corner of an eye they looked like the inhabitants of any market in _Shi'Kahr _to anyone who was not prepared_. _And the garments they all wore did not help: the loose tunics and trousers, the robes to protect the wearer from the heat, the hoods to cover the heads; even if they were made from lighter materials that he was used to all their purposes were so familiar.

He concentrated on his path without focusing on any individual who might look at him with eyes that could have opened under the Vulcan sky – or under Earth's sky, before their owner had come to Vulcan. Control. These people were not his people; for all that they resembled them in their appearance and certain aspects of their culture. The architecture they passed on their way down the winding road that led from the embassy into the heart of the city was reminiscent of styles found elsewhere, but that was all. Their outfits were merely suited to the heat and humidity of their environment. And Taina most certainly did not have eyes that resembled those of his mother. Not at all.

Control. Control, so that he could look at the people if he had to. Control, so that he could look without glaring at them, at this whole planet, that they and it had the _audacity, _the _arrogance_ to look so much and be so much like another place and another civilization that had been swallowed up by the black. Control, so that he would not do a disservice to his role as a representative of Star Fleet by compromising himself…again. Control, so that the hardness would not crush him.

It was impossible that he not think of his home world, however, and so he attempted to theorize exactly how different the two cultures were. He looked at the people now in what he accepted was an analytical fashion, something that could managed and could not tear. The wives walked alongside their husbands instead of the Vulcan ritualistic three paces behind. In fact they all tended to walk in pairs or groups, they were quite a social people. Or peoples. It seemed traditional, or at least very common, for Sangni mothers bearing young infants to carry them in slings sewn into the bodices of their dresses, their small faces next to the very skin of the breast; presumably Sangni children required blood as well as milk from their very birth. Both races had different ways of gesturing with their hands, the Mineen curling their fingers and extending their arms while the Sangni kept their fingers spread wide and close to their bodies. He noted their reactions to their party; while they made sure not to get in their way they did not seem to be in particular awe of the two nobles, although they themselves obtained some curious looks.

And while many of them were dignified in their behavior and carriage, there were certainly exceptions. Approximately three quarters of the way down the valley side they had to stop, crew members and their guides and the two guards that had been assigned to accompany them, in order not to be barged into by something that looked like a hybrid of a Terran toy dog and some sort of crustacean, and then they had to stand aside as four rather young women raced after it in a tumbling mass of skirts and trailing sleeves and high soled clogs and floating veils and incessant giggles. "Nekki, nekki!" one of the Sangni girls crooned – he was undecided if that was the creature's given name or its species or merely an endearment - catching it up and holding it above her head in a manner reminiscent of the method of holding small pets or infants that seemed to be constant throughout the universe, then bringing it closer to her face and letting it lick her with a long, slender tongue as her companions gathered around her, scolding the beast. They looked back at their group now that the runaway had been captured and all but sang out an apology in a childish quartet, which Demita and Taina gracefully acknowledged, and Taina actually asked one of them a question or two. Kirk, breathing deeply as he was from the heat and the gravity, smiled at them in such a manner that made the Sangni girls start to giggle again and also make their friends nudge them even as they smiled.

One of the pale girls turned her eyes to him and, even as she finished her pointless laughter, he saw those eyes dart from him to Nyota to Kirk and back to him again, in a manner that belied her inane temperament. She inclined her head, the right temple further forward than the left. And then they were gone, clattering away up the slope, the creature's rather squashed face peering at them over its mistress's shoulder.

Intriguing. This was the seventh time he had directly seen a native look at him and his companions in such a manner, as if something they suspected had been confirmed, not counting the times their guides had done so. He must try to determine what these reactions meant, and whether they were intended as harmful in any way towards himself and the captain and Nyota.

"Where are _they_ off to, then?" Kirk was still watching their bobbing sashes; from what he knew of him the captain often looked after women long after they had departed from his presence, for some nonsensical reason.

Demita blinked and looked after them again before she answered: "Probably to a party, captain, or perhaps a theatrical performance. Most entertainment starts in the late afternoon, with a break for nourishment before continuation; and school is over for the day so they are clearly wasting no time."

"They're school girls?" Kirk suddenly seemed to be trying not to look so interested. Nyota was pulling her face veil across her face, even though she had not appeared to need it before, so he suspected that she was hiding a smile at Kirk's apparent consternation.

"Oh yes." Taina gestured toward the rapidly disappearing girls, mainly to the one on the far right. "At least one of them attends my former school; we know her older sister quite well." Again there was that slight but important change in grammar that Kirk had noticed and Uhura remembered from when she had been choosing clothes; 'my' instead of 'our'. Fascinating. She looked at Kirk from the corner of her eye now. "I think that she has had enough of choir recitals, though."

Kirk was uncharacteristically silent for much of the rest of the journey down, which gave Nyota the chance to talk without any fear of interruption on his part. As he always did whenever she was mastering yet another language to add to her repertoire he found satisfaction hearing her switch between Standard and the Sangeen tongue, even if his eidetic memory had not yet recognized all the words of the native dialect. It gave him, in turn, something to focus his mind on, and it helped that the language sounded very little like that of Vulcan.

And then they walked out of one street and into a plaza, where people crowded about a tall and solid but aesthetically pleasing building situated in the middle of it. Much of the crowd was made up of children, a mass of dark and light heads under the thin veils customary for young people. One Mineen child raced in front of them as they made their way forward, practically running into his legs and grabbing on to the cloth of his trousers for support as he nearly fell over. The male child, really only just a toddler, looked up at him and smiled, showing a large amount of gum and approximately six teeth, if he chose to count the two that were emerging at this point in time. Again, but for the smile and the number of small fingers, it might have been a Vulcan child looking up at him.

Nearly six billion, and so many of them children…

He wanted to reach down and…he did not know what then.

He _did_ reach down and took the little one's hand, detaching it as gently as he could from the material; the three fingers and the thumb closed around his own fingers with surprising strength for such a small being. He considered what he should do now, since the boy did not seem inclined to let go of him in the immediate future, but with a certain amount of dubious fortune the problem was partially solved for him when two hands came down and scooped the child up, although the boy did take his hand and thus his arm with him. He found the side of his arm pressed against the sling that held another infant against the right side what he presumed was its mother's breast.

"_Here_ you are, you little nuisance! _Emi's_ been chasing after you all around the plaza. Oh, sorry sir!" The woman looked at his face then, saw that he couldn't possibly be a native and switched to stilted Standard. "Sorry, sir. When he holds something, he does not want to let go, ever!"

"It is no trouble." He attempted to retrieve his fingers by using his other hand, but the child merely managed to add another pair of fingers to his collection and seemed illogically pleased by this. He stared at the child. The child stared back, and smiled again. The tips of the fingers on his left hand were being brought perilously close to that little mouth and those six teeth.

"_Beni!_" The woman by some ingenious method shifted the boy so that she had an arm free, grabbed the little hands and somehow managed to make them release him. "Sorry, so sorry! He likes to…to chew what he holds as well. He copies his," she looked down at the infant in the sling as she spoke, "sister, she bites everything right now."

"She certainly knows what she wants," Nyota ventured, and the woman smiled as she positioned the boy upon her hip to restore her balance and so that he would not be squashed against her.

"She certainly does." Even as she spoke the be-slinged infant looked up at them, yawned as if she were bestowing a great favor upon them all and then turned her face to the woman's skin and bit down with her own, miniscule fangs.

He felt the blood hammer in his temples and taste his own blood at the back of his mouth; he could smell the faintest trace-

The woman never even winced; she merely nodded to them all, smiled at him and Nyota in particular, and then swept off back to her own party.

"Just as well it was the boy that wanted you for a chew toy and not the girl, huh, Spock?" Kirk seemed to be trying to inject some humor into the situation; he could not conjecture as to why.

"Most fortunate." He watched the light of the sun upon the boy's head before he was carried into the shadow of the building, and even then he kept his eyes on him as he was handed over to the woman who must be his mother. She held him above her head in the same way that the girl had done with her pet earlier, the child kicked his feet and he could hear him squeal with what was presumably some form of enjoyment, and then he was cuddled close.

"_Emi!" _The squeal, this time from beside him, did not make his body start but it did set his mind on alert, as their guides rushed forwards, running towards a group that turned to see who was shouting at them. Both of them threw themselves around a shorter woman, hugging her close and speaking so fast he could hardly make out separate words. Nyota and Kirk had moved closer to him when the nobles had left their side, although he noted that Kirk kept well away from any unwanted contact with the lieutenant.

"Any ideas, Uhura?"

"As far as I can tell, captain, _emi _means mother. Or…strictly speaking, I suppose it means 'mummy'."

"…Mummy. Huh." Kirk looked from her to Demita and Taina, and the woman they were still hugging. "I guess that must be Taina's mother, then."

The two pulled away just then so that she could see them and they could see her, a short, thin woman with long brown hair who looked at them with great interest. A mother. Their mother. If what he had heard was true, one of their mothers. A mother with brown eyes, a mother alive, a mother to spare.

He could not think like this. It was…something other than illogical. It was dangerous.

**

* * *

**

Both Sangni and Mineen are mammals, or evolved from mammals if you want to get technical, because it makes sense, of a sort, and because it's easier for me to write about whatever biology they might or might not possess.


	7. Meet the family

* * *

**Sorry for taking so long with this, people; I've had writer's block. Which really isn't any excuse, since the idea is already constructed for me, but still. Thank you again for all the reviews that you've sent!**

* * *

**Meet the family**

Fara was smaller than both their guides with the figure of a woman who still kept herself thin even after she had had several children - which was all quite familiar to her - and when she was introduced to them she looked at them as her own mother might look at Spock had she brought him home in her last year of the academy; relatively friendly but with a certain amount of judgment waiting to be pronounced, though admittedly without the hint of the possibility of a blunt object. Her Standard was far more limited than that of her daughter and she spoke Sangneen so quickly that even a skilled linguist, if alien, had some trouble keeping up, but even the language deficient Kirk could work out that she was very interested to meet them and delighted that Taina and Demita had been given the honor of escorting them around the city.

She insisted on drawing them all into the little group that turned out to be at least one part of Taina's family, her father and two of her brothers as well as her younger sister, Kaila, who was grateful that her sisters had come along to watch her perform but who only stayed for a few minutes longer before saying goodbye and running off to take her place in the somehow organized crowd of children that were making their way into the building. She was to be one of the principle singers. There were apparently some other siblings but they had stayed at home since they had taken part in enough choir recitals to have grown sick of them; there was, however, also a young Sangnar called Jaren, an apprentice in the family warehouse, who paid so much attention in such a way to both of their guides that she wasn't certain which of them he wanted more.

That was another cultural aspect to get her head around again; when she had first been introduced to Fara she had wondered how the woman regarded her daughter's joined partner: as a close friend, a lover, a new sister? She wasn't even sure what kind of a relationship the two had herself, paired relationships were so complicated! Perhaps the last one; Fara called both of them 'my daughter' and, as before, they both called her 'mummy', Demita not even bothering with 'my other's mother'.

But then again, perhaps Jaren's view was the one that explained the most; he clearly thought that there was no way he would be able to have one without the other.

Fara herself led them into the concert hall section of the school with more than an appearance of pride, delighted in the achievements of her daughters and the nature of their guests. Off worlders were not unknown in the city but they were rare, especially three at a time and _especially_ when one of them was what some people recognized as that now most rare of species, a Vulcan. Fara probably wasn't intending to put them on display – probably – but that was certainly what it felt like. Out in the streets people had generally been too busy to pay much attention, but here in this gathering place where people were expressly waiting for something to begin, they were the subject of more than just looks; there were whispers too, and they carried far.

She was used to being the subject of whispers – _talented tongue, skilled linguist, ice queen, only interested in you if you're a book – _and Kirk had certainly been talked about behind his back and ogled as well, so their skins were hardened to this sort of thing. She might be afraid for Spock and whatever he wouldn't let himself feel but would still grow and turn harsh inside him, but he was, after all, used to being stared at. He had been the only Vulcan in Starfleet, now he was the only Vulcan on this planet. Hardly a change at all.

He seemed content talking to Fara through Taina, and the older woman thankfully hadn't asked him anything along the lines of 'What's it like' about anything. In fact, she was explaining the nature of the songs the children would soon be singing, even as Demita reminded her that they couldn't possibly stay for all of them, they needed to get back to the palace fairly soon, and the father, she couldn't recall his name at the moment, cutting in to say that they must come back to the house for drinks, no they really couldn't-

"Lady Uhura, which star do you come from?"

Ah, Jem. She found that she already liked the little boy; he reminded her of various small cousins in her rather extended family, curious without being too irritating or disrespectful. She didn't even mind that he seemed to be giving the three off worlders rather knowing looks as well as everyone else. "I come from a planet called Earth, Jem; it orbits around a sun we call Sol."

"Earth? As in, ground? You called your planet Earth?" She wouldn't have been surprised if one of those eyebrows raised on that little brow; he looked so like a Vulcan, even if he wasn't!

"Well, not we personally, it was named centuries ago. Besides, it's usually called Terra now."

He nodded at that. "Taina says that your people live on other planets than Earth, or Terra, or whatever you call it now. You have lots of colonies?" She acknowledged in the affirmative and he talked on, excited now. "We have only one at the moment, a big one on our nearest moon from where the first ones joined together. Are your colonies far apart?"

"Very far, sometimes. Part of the mission of the Federation is to seek out uninhabited planets that can be the sites of new colonies, which means that we are spreading out into the universe all the time."

"And you fly in a spaceship?"

She was about to say something like not just a spaceship, a _star_ship, and they didn't just fly but were to explore, but Spock looked over at her just then, and while he obviously didn't mean anything by it she thought just then of all the things that Vulcans had done, for good reasons or for bad, to hold humans back from deep space travel. Did she, a century later, have the right to tempt these people with things they might not have for years? Would these people, this generation growing up in the wake of finding out just how much was really out there, would they have the chance, the opportunities to do what she would achieve?

He hadn't given her a chance to reply in any case; he was already talking about his own dreams of flight. "I would like to fly. Not just in the sky; in space, in a sea-bird. Myself and my other would be the best pilots in the whole fleet!"

Birds; always starships seemed to be called after birds. Klingon warbirds, Romulan birds of prey. At least sea-bird sounded somewhat more peaceful, exploring and traveling rather than fighting. "Do you have someone who might be your other?" she asked, phrasing her words in the most polite way that she knew how. It could be an open or a delicate subject, depending on who was being asked.

"Perhaps." Jem began telling her about Delnen, his best friend, actually born on the same day as him and who lived in the house next door to him and his family and with whom he did everything. Everyone was certain that they would join once they matured and do great things together. He told her that he was glad he and his friend were so close to each other; he loved his older sister but really hardly knew Taina because he saw her so rarely, and all because she was paired with a noble. Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course. The girls had met through a steady project to introduce more variety into the noble houses by letting the children of different classes mingle; they had hit it off at once and Taina had been inspired to study and take the exams that allowed her to be eligible for government one day.

"Did you not ever want to do that as well?"

"Oh, no. I might have been able to be put forward for the exams because of my sisters but really, I would not want to. Delnen and I want to go out into space. We want our own ship that we can feel around us, that we will fly together as I in he and he in I." He touched his longest and shortest fingers together, what she remembered as a symbol of symbiosis. "It will be such an adventure!"

"Oh, it will be." Spock was deep in discussion with Fara and her husband and Kirk, amusingly, seemed to be battling with Jaren for their guides' attentions, and Jem's brother was begging the guards to let him see their weapons. And surely no one would mind if she asked. They had a right to know, after all. "Jem, I do not mean to be rude, but do you know why there are people who stare at us? I do not think that they mean to be rude, either, but it is as if they know something that we do not."

"You do not know?" Jem considered, and then put his two fingers together once more and poked his middle finger between them so that the tip nearly touched his palm, holding his hand out to her. "If you do not know, then we cannot tell you. It is not our right. But really, can you not tell? Is it so hard for you to know? How sad it must be."

She hated to find herself speechless again, but really she couldn't think of anything to say. What did he mean? Could he, too, tell that she and Spock were…but unjoined Mineen did not have so strong a sense of smell. Could he tell by some other method? Or, and here heat and moisture began to start in her arm pits and trace across her skin and even start a bit on her upper lip, could he mean something else by 'knowing'? He had held out his hand not just to her but in the general direction of Spock and Kirk as well, standing roughly to either side of her, if slightly behind her. Two fingers together meant symbiosis, but what did the third finger in between mean? And if those fingers stood for people, than who was it who was inserted into the middle? And what was their place? And how could there be symbiosis – if that was what Jem meant – between any of them?

Or perhaps…perhaps between only two of them, and one was getting in the way of that?

And who was that?

_Not me. And not Kirk. It can't be. Please let no one come between us._

_

* * *

_**Considering that lots of people complained about _Enterprise_, I personally find it very funny that it's the only series that's now considered canon in this new continuity. (Though, like other people, I think that it was growing the beard with season 4, and could have been all right if it had had the chance. And then again, considering that last episode...ugh...) Anyway, in honour of my favourite character in that series, grumpy Ambassador Soval, this Federation is cautious about advising newly warp capable cultures about venturing out deep into space, considering the damage that brash new pioneers might wreck.** **Hooray beginnings of Prime Directive...that the captains break with impunity. Hee hee!**

**I honestly think I could have done better with this chapter; please, tell me what you think I can do to imporve. It really doesn need to be longer, but I just couldn't think of anything else to throw in. Gah!**


	8. Now meet the other family

**Disclaimer: I don't own the stuff at the top, in the middle and at the end. Watch out for the end, there's one strong word.**

**

* * *

**

Before we start, I just want to apologise for my unimaginativeness when it comes to the names in this thing, since I've only now realized just about all the female OCs have names that end in 'a'_**. **_**I have only three possible excuses for this:**

**1. Sangneen has naming conventions; a bit like Vulcan where lots of male names start with S;**

**2. I read a book about Lucrezia Borgia a while back and Italian names for girls are still rattling around in my head;**

**3. I liked the sound of the names and didn't think they'd get a bit generic.**

**Also, I have noticed as well that almost all of my OCs that having speaking parts have been female. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I hope, but I promise I will even it up in the next few chapters.**

**Now that these excuses have been made, I return you to your viewing enjoyment.**

**

* * *

**

Now meet the other family

It probably wouldn't have surprised Uhura in the least to know that rarely had he ever been invited to the home of his flame of the time for tea or dinner or any interaction with her family. Not that many of the girls he'd dated hadn't been eager for the chance to show off the certainly not unattractive, rebellious genius with a _sweet_ bike they believed that they had snagged to their probably disapproving parents and envious sisters and over protective elder brothers…it was just that he hadn't been that eager either. And not just because those disapproving parents, envious sisters and over protective elder brothers could potentially make his life very difficult, and indeed had done so before he had learned his lesson - rather well on some occasions, there were at least two ribs cracked long ago that marked the course of his education on that front – but because…well…

He knew why he was thinking about this just now, what with Fara chattering away to Spock as she ran some sort of comb through the hair of her poor younger son who was trying and not doing a very good job of not looking embarrassed ever since his mother had said something about his hair being untidy and to come over and sit by her so she could sort it out. And what with her husband now engaging Uhura in conversation along with his other son, showing interest that transcended language, and what with the girls not quite flirting with Jaren in a fashion uncannily like a pair of twin sisters that rather stood out in his memory – no, he _wasn't_ going there, not right now!

It was all very cozy, very comfy, and really nearly as alien to him as any new world he was going to be stepping onto or negotiating with from now on. This, he knew, was one of the reasons why he had latched onto Bones all that time ago: because the guy, joy of joys, didn't bring any discussions of happy family life with him, at least at the start, and by the time the doctor had gotten over the hurt of the divorce enough to start talking about his little Joanna and how much he missed her it was too late; they were roommates by then and he'd found that he actually liked the man and could forgive him for finding solace in at least one of his relatives.

I really should give mom that call, soon.

He hated that it was probably even worse for Spock. His first officer at least had a relatively okay relationship with his father, at present if not in the past, and he knew only too well that nobody but _nobody _insulted poor Amanda if they wanted to keep their esophagus uncrushed. But what would it be like to have been raised in a household fairly starved of visible affection, and then be confronted with so much undisguised emotion in so many members of this strange little group?

Probably the same as how he felt, probably.

"Are you all right, captain?" Taina's fingers on his hand woke him up from wherever he had been. "You should not doze, you know; my sister would never forgive me if she knew I had let you sleep through her song!"

"Oh, sorry." He focused on the stage again just as Kaila stepped out from the mass of singers with several others. They formed a circle and started to clap their hands; he found it quite nice that, even in this age of the mighty warp drive, they didn't rely on power sources to get their music. They did a lot of hand on things, really, like carrying and lifting. He'd seen a few strange mechanical carts with lots of spindly legs following their owners like dogs, but mostly the people even in this capital city seemed to prefer not to rely on technology too much. Very different from Earth-

"You have that look of forever away again."

"Sorry." He didn't sound it, he sounded sulky instead and he couldn't have that. He smiled at her but she didn't look…no, it wasn't that she didn't look impressed, she didn't look convinced. She looked around at her mother and then back to him and…Uhura had said that paired Mineen could smell things really well, but there wouldn't be anything here to smell, would there? Unless…

Oh, dammit. Please don't let her be that good, nobody other than telepaths can be that good-

A shock of heat as she leaned into close, her lips actually brushed his ear. "You are sad, captain. Now, we are curious as to why, so that we may remedy it, since it is our appointed task to keep you happy and content while you are here. Clearly, music is not the answer, not even the sweet strains of my sister." He had to smile at that. He felt her lips curve too, before she went on. "Spock and Uhura are with each other. Perhaps it is because you have some desire for flesh, and we do not mean as food…or perhaps we _do_."

Did she _really_ just say that?

"We have very little knowledge about the preferences of other races, after all. And, since you have very little knowledge about _ours_, if you have that hunger you really should set it aside."

"No, no, I'm not…hungry." He wondered just how much eating and sex overlapped in this culture, couldn't believe that he hadn't wondered about that sooner, and then decided to avoid asking that particular question. At least right now.

"Then what?"

Never trust psychiatrists, they went hmm and hah and spouted some trite stuff they read out of a book and generally made things hellishly inconvenient if you wanted to do anything remotely interesting, like, oh, maybe join Starfleet for example. They'd all but scented blood when he came along – and oh, aware of the pun now, agh, that was _bad_. A very dead if famous father, a relatively disinterested older brother, a regrettably often absent mother, an occasionally abusive stepfather: it was a recipe for one seriously messed up guy and they seemed to be highly annoyed that he'd turned out fairly normal, save for that little incident with the car and the quarry and driving one over the edge of the other.

And possibly having nymphomania. Yeah, thanks for that one.

What had he been thinking about again? Yes, well, he was used to being asked 'And _how_ does that make you _feel?' _and to annoying the person asking it without even doing anything wrong. It was automatic. People who asked that sort of thing generally wanted to hold him back, to prevent him from doing and achieving things. Kind of ironic that, for all he and Bones took the mickey out of Spock for not showing any emotions, he was pretty tight about them himself sometimes.

Maybe he should change that, at least for now. "Family. You know." He hoped that she did, he didn't want to spill too much of his guts.

"No, Captain Kirk, I do not know." She's moved back now. She looked so damn smug. Jeez.

"I'm not that great around happy families."

To her credit, she'd stopped looking smug. "Yours was not?"

"Not really. I mean, my mom – my mother, I mean. She's a lovely person, you'd like her. And she was there for me, she just wasn't there enough." She loves me. She loves both of us, there's no doubt of that. It's just that there are other things she loves, and sometimes they're more important to her than we are. Even if they really, really shouldn't be. "And my brother's…my brother. You know what I mean now, don't you?"

"Oh, yes." She probably wasn't just saying that, she had at least two brothers, after all.

"And then there's my step-father. That is, he was married to my mother but he didn't father me or my brother, get it?"

"I believe so. And your father is dead."

"Done your homework, I see."

"Naturally."

He barely listened to the rest of the concert. At some point afterwards when they and Taina's family had parted with promise that they would all come and have mid-meal with them on the morrow and were making their way back up the hill towards the palace, Demita had slipped her arm through his in a copy of Taina's gesture and they were both asking him questions and answering his, in quite a perfect flow. He vaguely remembered Jaren looking at him with some jealousy, but hey, _he_ couldn't help it if he'd done considerably more than someone who'd never even left his home planet before and thus was able to engage the attention of two very intelligent and yes, rather beautiful women at once without the conversation – or anything else – drying up at any point. Not that he thought he would get anywhere in _that_ particular direction, but there were some pleasures that only required the mind and the mouth and no other orifices.

They were still talking as they nipped back into the embassy, where Spock claimed that since it had been six point four three hours since they had beamed down they should of course make contact with the _Enterprise _and ascertain as to their condition, where upon he'd found the comm unit and contacted first the bridge, where everything was going smoothly, and then actually formed a video link with sick bay.

He didn't often get embarrassed, but it made him want to slide out from between the arms of their guides and crawl under something when McCoy, after demanding to talk to him, took one look at the three of them once they'd gotten into view with their arms still linked, shook his head and said very loudly and clearly, "_Damn_, Jim. That was quick; good thing I'm prepared for all possible social awkwardness, huh?" Just to rub it in, he held up a perfectly innocent looking hypo that suddenly didn't seem so innocent. Oh god.

"These ladies, Dr McCoy, are our guides for our time here." God bless Uhura; for once she was willing not to let him stew in awkwardness, if only for the sake of the girls.

"Of course. Beg pardon, ladies."

They'd only smiled as they unlinked their arms and engaged the not un-flattered doctor in conversation as well. A very nasty thought had occurred to him in the meantime and he grabbed Uhura by her arm in turn and pulled her away, right up until he suddenly felt a rather higher heat right behind him and reconsidered that perhaps pulling Spock's significant other about wasn't the best way to do things, so he quickly let her go. "Uhura, quick question; you know when Siobhan told us not to grip their forearms?"

"Yes, captain?" She was rather pointedly rubbing her own, maybe he'd gripped too hard. Oops.

"Well, I've been rubbing mine with theirs for the last while. I haven't – you know – _propositioned_ either of them, or anything? Because that _really_ wouldn't be a good start to my career. I'm serious, by the way. Completely, totally serious. Tell me the truth, Uhura. Are they secretly thinking of killing me and eating my liver?"

"N...ooo, captain? I think it's all right if _they_ offer you their arm; it's a gesture of trust, they trust you not to slash it or some such thing."

"There's nothing sexual about linking arms?"

"Not as far as we know."

"Oh. Okay." Such relief, for a change.

*

The evening wasn't over, either; after a quick spruce up and a change of clothes when some embarrassing patches were discovered the ladies took them out again. This time they didn't walk down or very far. They made their way along a sort of colonnade lit up bright with torches, the girls whirled them along various corridors paneled with various expensive looking things like fancy wood and more pretty stone, and then they were being led into a long chamber a bit like a picture of the hall of mirrors at Versailles he'd seen once, with about twenty people standing in groups of four or, in one case, six; he could see Ambassador Siobhan standing in that particular group, not looking particularly happy and gesturing with one spread hand and one held to her chest but still moving slightly. She seemed to be talking mostly to a pair that stood very close to each other indeed, turned so that their chests nearly pressed together while their faces were still turned towards her, as if she'd interrupted them in the middle of something.

"Ah, Captain!" He looked away from this to another sight, that of the two who'd greeted them earlier that day, Cerean and Duren, coming towards them, welcoming them once again. "We hope that you have had a pleasant day so far. Have your guides been helpful?"

"Would you have given us this task if we were not?" The girls chorused that, making the woman shake her head and sigh.

It turned out, through the greetings, that Cerean was Demita's mother, although the two greeted her with far less enthusiasm than they had done with their other mother – strange that he was thinking that now, rather than just 'Taina's mother'. They were drawn slowly towards the group that Siobhan was in as they were asked about their day and, when it was revealed that they had met Taina's family, about how their counterparts were doing and how is Kaila faring in the choir? It all seemed pleasant enough, but it also seemed as if they were waiting for something to happen-

That something suddenly did. Siobhan's voice stopped as two other voices started up, not just in unison but in more than that. **"So these are they."**

He turned to see Siobhan's listeners had turned to look at him as well. A Sangnar man and a Mineer woman, looked to be in their late twenties although that probably didn't mean anything; both around the same height and dressed identically in deep blue which suited the colouring of both of them. Their hair was arranged in the same flowing plaits as well, what little jewelry they wore matched, and their expressions matched too. They moved forward together and they actually did do just that, their left legs stepping out at the same time and their right legs following in a fashion that should have looked really silly but didn't and instead managed to look rather sinister. They carried on like this until they were standing right in front of them. The woman raised her hand for the greeting, but instead of putting it to her own neck she reached across both their bodies to put it instead to the neck of her companion. She leaned forward as well when he did, and while no noses went to any necks they both sniffed loud enough to clearly hear.

"**You are welcome here, Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura," **the two of them said once they'd straightened. It was a curious thing to hear their voices, spoken so closely and so intertwined it sounded like one instead of two. **"We welcome more eyes of the Federation to our world, and we pray that you look well upon our world and be blind not to its virtues nor its faults, as they are and as they should be." **

If ever he had thought that the girls were spooky he would think that no more; these two were actually making hairs rise on his arms and at the back of his neck. He got the distinct impression that while there were two pairs of eyes watching him there was only one mind behind them. "I take it, then, that you are among those that would prefer for the presence of the Federation on Sangneen to remain minimal at best?"

"**You are at least more to the point that your culture's ambassador. You are correct. The benefit you bring is doubtful, the danger to our structure severe. We respect you, but your full welcome and our admittance of you would have effects we do not wish to occur."**

"Such as?" Spock, thank his Vulcan cool, didn't appear to sound at all creeped out by this dicey situation. Siobhan over their shoulders looked near frantic but probably because of some sort of social norm couldn't intrude upon the conversation and could only watch as they risked perhaps everything she had worked for. The two of them turned their heads to him even more smooth and synchronized than Demita and Taina had ever done and looked at him. Their upper lips moved up to show part of their teeth. That better not be a sign of disgust.

"**Vulcan, do you plan to live your life out there in the black, or to return to your people and spend your days as a member of your culture's society?"**

Spock's face never even moved, except for his lips of course. "An intrusion into a private matter; I would not have thought such would be possible of the nobles of this planet."

"**An intrusion that should not affect you, if what we have heard and witnessed of your race is correct. Answer the question."**

"As you see, I have chosen to remain, at present, with the career I have made for myself and the companions I have found as I made that career."

The two tilted their heads; he almost expected to hear something creak. **"And when will you return? When Starfleet has used up your many years and the Federation has no more work for you to do? Or perhaps they will make you an ambassador, to carry the message to more planets and worlds and races and cultures; come, come to the Federation, let us take you in, let us improve you and remake you, let us envelop you into the whole." **The woman's right hand and the man's left hand both rose and came together, clasping tight about each other.

"Do you really believe that?" He wished he hadn't spoken because that meant they were looking at him again. But then again, let them look! He had a right to challenge them, if he wanted.

"**Do we have any reason not to, Captain Kirk? We know what some in your Federation call us: the planet of vampires, the new **_**nosferatu**_**. Would it surprise you to learn that we have read some of your Terran literature? And we see a side note as well, that the Terran race is now near inseparable from the culture of the Federation, that you yourselves have been swallowed up? Well, we have read of those creatures you call vampires. In some ways they are like us, but have you not though of how they are like **_**you**_**?" **Now the two pulled their arms behind their backs, their heads on one side again. **"When we have heard your Ambassador Siobhan say that times are changing, opportunities are open, we cannot help but think that to 'move with the times', as you say, is to do things **_**your **_**way, no longer our own; that we must conform to what you believe is right, that we must…become your copy. Would you not say that your enlightened Federation is a kind of vampire in itself, far more a vampire than we are? For surely you would suck as well as bite, suck all our new generations out into space and the black to fly further away from us, to have their life drink and their life food replaced with your food that would rob them of their sense of self, and come back to us only to die? Would you not say so, Kirk?"**

They waited. He didn't trust himself to speak. Perhaps Spock might have spoken, he no doubt had a defense ready if only he could let it out, but the question had been directed to _him_ and they'd obviously only be satisfied if he answered it. They waited some more, and then they went on in that horrid voice of theirs, **"This is not your task yet, to convince us that we are wrong; that is still Siobhan's. We eagerly await what you have to say on the matter. Until then, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant." **They walked past them with some others following, and looking after them he could see that even their bodies moved in the same way; from behind, save for the hair, they might have been one person walking beside a mirror. He waited until Cerean nodded that they were definitely out of ear shot before he sighed out.

"Who were those…two?"

"That would be the Lady-Lord Cerdon Serenu." Siobhan had by this time come to stand next to him, dabbing at her forehead. "Don't worry, I know how you feel. I get that every time I have to talk to them."

"They spoke exactly the same." Uhura sounded astonished. "The same tone of pitch, the same measure, rhythm; it's as if they're telepathically linked."

"They are not that; it is more than that. It is a great honour, a great achievement." But Duren didn't look as if he thought it was a great achievement; he looked rather uneasy.

"What is? What happened to them? Were they like that from when they first joined?"

"No. We are not really certain of what happened. They were a normal pair at their beginning, as we all are, but as time went on they grew closer and closer, so close that their families began to worry." Here Cerean shot a glance at her daughters, who already looked rather subdued. "Then they began to act as one, doing things as if synchronized; they were already speaking as one. At first we thought it an affectation, but it soon became clear that by some strange method their minds had become intertwined, inseparable. They dislike to be parted for any length of time at all. They behave as one body, one of them the left side, one of them the right. Oh, they are still Cerdon and Serenu, we are sure of that – they merely think of themselves as a single unit."

"It is a great honour for our cousins," Demita repeated, but he didn't miss the way she and Taina looked at each other, the look of two intelligent young girls who, while they loved each other deeply and above all else, didn't want to lose their individuality.

"That is…fascinating."

No, that _wasn't_ fascinating, Spock; that was fucking creepy, that was what that was.

**

* * *

**

I apologise for the copious use of bold; I just didn't know what else to do to imply that there were two people speaking at once. As Patrick Lussier said in his commentary on his film _Dracula 2001_ **when talking about a particularly cheesy special effect, 'Just pretend something cool happened'. **

**Like other writers, I have given Kirk his brother in this reality. Also like other writers, he's probably isn't going to be mentioned again unless to gain angst, or to be quickly dismissed, again to gain angst. Which is pretty much following the example of the original series. Could it have killed them to give Sam some more screen time and torment Shatner by making him dress up in oldie makeup some more? Or at least give Aurelean more to do other than screaming and expiring not so prettily?**

**The vampiric Federation metaphor is, alas, not mine, but penned by the incomparable Sir Terry Pratchett, who has also given us such philosophical gems as the true nature of Elves found through words (Nobody ever said Elves are nice. Elves are **_**bad**_**.) the Sam Vimes Boots theory of socio-economic unfairness, why exactly it's better to be staring up a crossbow from the wrong end if there's an evil person holding it, and how bank robbers kill people even if they've never touched them…through the mouth of a clay man. (Not all of it, just that last part.) God bless you and all who sail with you, Pterry.**

**I have found myself becoming a bit of a defendant of one James Tiberius Kirk, who is not nearly as much the womanizer as many people paint him to be, evidence for which you can find in lists all over the web which often make very entertaining and enlightening reading. After all, he got serious with only a few women in the show, the amount of which I know lots of you could remember far more readily than me; a lot of the time when he was flirting and canoodling and kissing he was doing it for an ulterior motive or because someone had been messing with his brain or because his body had been taken over, etc etc. Also most of the women he was serious about were very intelligent, so it's not just that he likes sleeping with every woman he comes across, it's that he likes sleeping with every intelligent woman he comes across, no doubt after a really stimulating conversation about really stimulating things. Added to all this is the Kirk Spock relationship, which lots of you also know more about than me and on the off chance that you **_**haven't**_** read it, it go and check out Brittany Diamond's project **_**Analyzation commentary of TOS for KS**_** in the Original series section (it's under M because the language is relatively strong, but nothing **_**really**_** offensive to my admittedly prudish eye). It's well written, insightful, has lots of evidence for the case, Brittany is very dedicated in getting down every part of the plot of each episode, and, most importantly, it's really darn funny. **_**I love it. **_


	9. Interlude: The sandwich is the thing

**Yes, this is short. This is a sledge hammer blow out of that damn writers block. There will be more coming soon.**

**Also, I'm not going to transcribe the accents of any of the characters on the ship; you know what they sound like anyway and I'm sure I'll never do them justice. I don't mind other people doing it, but I always feel a bit cheesy when I try it. Just close your eyes and think of Simon Pegg.**

* * *

When he'd first seen Jim in his new outfit he'd been hard pressed not to laugh; what with the two rather curiously attired and very attractive young ladies on either side of him he looked like a sheik in one of those extremely old black and white films, and pretty damn silly at that. And it only got better when he'd had a chance to make him squirm. Jim was famous in the academy for having no shame, so embarrassing him in front of those girls he seemed so eager to impress was just too good to miss, and it'd most likely earn him a few points in Uhura's book. And, heavens above, it might actually make the hob goblin raise an eyebrow!

Speaking of which, the other two had looked rather less stupid. Then again Uhura could look graceful and damn right gorgeous in a sack, while Spock, much as he hated to admit the truth of it, could still manage to look dignified in the aforementioned sack. And besides, Sangneen fashions for women were one of the things he felt that it wouldn't hurt to see a little more of-

Damn it, man. No. More. Women. Not now, not ever. Even if the pale one – what was her name, Demy something? – was quite good to look at, and was blond. He was definitely off brunettes. No. More. Women.

He was tired of Sick Bay in any case, so he did what he'd gotten into a bit of a habit of doing and sneaked out to go up to the bridge, even if Jim wouldn't be there. On the plus side, Spock wasn't there either, so there were two ways of looking at it.

One person who was there, though, was Montgomery Scott, who was at this precise moment sitting in the captain's chair and eating a sandwich, although he called this particular specimen a 'buttie'. He'd though once or twice about reminding Scott that while there were plenty of good places on the ship to have a snack the bridge probably wasn't one of them. He'd thought about inquiring why Scotty was so fixated on sandwiches in particular. He'd thought, on more than one occasion, about taking certain sandwiches away from the Chief Engineer, such as this one, which was filled with enough sausages to make his arteries panic just from looking at it. (Where did the man g_et _all that real meat, anyway?) But at the end of the day we all had our little quirks, and after being marooned on a planet covered with ice with only a little scaly green thing for company for six months, complete with all the malnourishment he still constantly complained about, he was surprised Scott didn't have enough of them to leave him with a desire for something more sinister and disturbing that two pieces of bread with something squished in between.

"'Ello, doctor," the lover of sandwiches or butties or whatever the hell he preferred calling them said. "Come to check up on me, then?"

"Pretty much. You got the message before they transmitted to me in Sick Bay?"

"Yep. Kirk works fast, doesn't he?"

"You know, that's just what I was thinking when I saw him in that get up."

"Aye. Those two all but hanging off him certainly gave us an eyeful, I can tell you that." He nodded towards the control panel where Sulu and the kid were sitting, and the kid definitely looked as if he were still blushing while Sulu wore an expression of longing without even noticing.

"I know what you mean. I mean, _damn_, if they all look like that then Kirk's in a weird sort of hell."

"Mmm?" Scotty took another bite of his…_thing, _and raised his eyebrows as he chewed, which probably meant _please continue _and not _why are you still talking, human?_

"Been reading up on some Sangneen mating practices. Let's just say, they're very big on certain kinks."

The acting captain swallowed his mouthful, considered, considered and then actually winked at him. "Well, nothing wrong with a good nibble, doctor." Did he really have to take another huge bite of his meal just after he said that? He was pretty damn sure he heard Chekov squeak and Sulu snicker. Yes, he did, that damn helmsman definitely snickered.

"Oh, so you'll be willing to go down there, then?" It felt a bit bratty to be trying to score points over this guy, but he felt bratty, so there.

"No fear, doctor; my lady will feel all rejected if I abandon her now." The guy actually stroked the arm of the chair. God, Scotty could be a bit creepy about this.

They watched the planet for a while.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

"Yep."

They watched it some more.

"I actually think I do want to go down there. Just to see what it's like."

"Rather you than me."

"You're deliberately making crumbs in the captain's seat, aren't you?"

"Oh yes. It'll make a nice welcome home present for the captain, don't you think?"

"I bet it will."

**

* * *

**

To clear it up; yes, Sangni bite during copulation. A lot. Mineen bite to a lesser extent if they're in a relationship with a Sangni, because fair's fair after all and they can actually draw blood quite a lot of the time. Besides, nobody minds Spock biting.

If you have never had a sausage sandwich, you have lived but you've missed out on manna of heaven/

Seriously, McCoy spends a rather large amount of time on the bridge for a guy who's, you know, supposed to be in Sick Bay ready and waiting when whatever goes wrong this week **does go wrong. But then we wouldn't get our lovely Vulcan/doctor snarkage. Or the little moral they had at the end of each episode.**

**Also, and I can't believe this hasn't occurred to me until now; in the event that both Kirk and Spock were down on whatever planet they were visiting, Scotty was the one in charge and was almost always completely awesome while doing it. This is perfectly understandable in TOS. In this new universe it is both understandable (of sorts) and a source for great comic potential. If the next film has Kirk and Spock out of the picture and the Enterprise is threatened and Scotty **_**doesn't **_**start wielding a bloody cricket bat, I will be seriously displeased.**

…**Watch Shaun of the Dead. Watch it **_**now**_**.**


	10. Do VUlcans dream of logical sheep?

**Disclaimer: Am I male? No? Then I don't own Star Trek. Alas for my second X chromosone...maybe. **

**

* * *

**

What's this?

_**Me**_**, actually updating with some speed?**

…

_**Aaaaa!**_** The world's coming to an end! It's 2012 already?! Run for the hills!!!**

**(Ha ha, seriously though, it's unlikely the world's going to end three years from now, since 2012 is just going to be the end of this section of the Mayan calendar, etc. Go here for more info {http://www dot moderntales dot com//comics/dumnestor dot php?view=archive&chapter=14677}, you know what to do with the dots. Read Irony's comic while you're at it, it's brilliant.)**

**So where was I? Oh, yes, update. More attempting to write Spock and failing miserably. Also, thanks to outtabreath for her stories that drilled it into my head that, yes, since Spock has copper based blood there **_**is**_** a certain part of his anatomy that's going to be a certain colour.**

* * *

**Do Vulcans dream of logical sheep?**

Kirk was making curious noises on the other side of the room, despite the fact that he was in the deeper stages of REM sleep. Perhaps he dreamed, dreamed deeply and fiercely enough to warrant this emotional reacting even while his brain supposedly rested. It was appropriate that this captain was never truly silent.

Sagneen propriety had much to be held accountable for. He was very aware of the absence of coolness and scent and softness. More than that, he was very aware of the fact that Nyota slept alone, an act which she had expressed a distaste for in rather recent times. Furthermore there had been distress and worry in her face when she had bade them farewell for the night. It was not logical or right to cause distress to one's…significant other, nor to let them continue in distress. He should remove himself from this position of contemplation, leave this room and go to her. Not to join together, not this night, she had told him about the sense of smell their hosts possessed and he would not have her made the object of their curiosity. But if they had scented him on her, letting her lie in his arms would mean nothing to any but they two.

He considered this, weighed it and examined it from all sides. It was not satisfactory. He did not know who might be watching them, when he entered and exited her room and what they did therein. Their hosts were gracious but they might also be curious. He would not have his and Nyota's sexual habits bandied about between all the nobles. Nyota must – it was not logical, but she must – sleep alone this night.

"Spock? You awake?"

Terrans, he had had cause to note, had something of a propensity to state the obvious. If they left a building while it was raining they would remark upon it, often with surprise. If an appliance was clearly malfunctioning they would still declare that it was broken for the supposed benefit of others. When visiting England he had had occasion to witness a rugby match, and had heard a young woman in the crowd say, when one of the players was tackled by another, "Ouch; that _must_ have hurt." Considering the place that the man had been struck in, how could it _not_ have been painful? Another illogical trait of the species. Even Nyota did it upon occasion, though thankfully very rarely and usually when she was excited: "You're so hot," when their bare skin had touched for the first time. Or, flushing throughout her body, "It's green!"

Not now, her sleep must not be disturbed. Better to focus upon even Kirk. "Yes, captain, I am awake."

"Can't sleep either, huh?"

"On the contrary, I will not need to sleep for many more hours."

"Oh. Yeah. Forgot about that." Kirk shifted upon his bed so that his face was turned towards him. Humans normally preferred to see the face of the person they were conversing with; the captain must be eager to talk for some time, possibly as a method of returning to sleep. In which case, he would do all that he could to aid him. "So. You want to talk?"

"If you wish to, captain, I have no objection to conversing."

"Oh. Good. So. What do you think of the planet so far?"

The brash Kirk, actually asking him what he thought? Remarkable. "From what I have seen of the planet and its inhabitants so far, they appear to be a well structured, moderate race, whose entrance to the Federation would be considered very valuable. They have a rich and vibrant culture, a steady government and an effective law system."

"You mean they lock away anyone who doesn't conform to their ideals? Yeah, that's pretty effective." He sounded actually bitter. Had some occurrence during the evening brought about this change in mood? Kirk answered that unspoken question. "When we got split up at that party to talk to different people, Uhura said that she was listening to this group of women talking. One of them was that woman the ambassador was telling us about, you remember - of course you remember. Well, one of them was Trea. Only she's not Lady Trea any more, she's Prince Trea."

"Indeed? How has that occurred?" Had the woman decided upon a change of identity, or even a sex alteration? Such occurrences were not very uncommon in the worlds beyond this one. Mother…she had defended such practises to father, saying that reproductive capability had nothing to do with living life in the way you wanted, needed.

"Oh, it's some tradition; when a noble wrongs someone deeply, if they have their title taken away as part of their punishment it's given to the person who was wronged. Supposed to be some form of compensation as well as rubbing it in. And I mean the whole title, even if the person who gets it is the wrong gender."

Ah. Not a sex alteration, then. "Indeed, captain?"

"While Uhura was listening, one of them asked this Trea if she would continue in such a manner. And Trea said something along the lines of, 'As long as Heran still breathes, I will be at his side to make him remember.'" Kirk pushed himself up off the mattress so that their eyes were almost precisely on a level. "That means he's still _alive_, Spock! Seven years of imprisonment and he's _still _alive!"

Fascinating. "Sangni physiology _would_ allow Heran to live for a substantial amount of time with little or no nourishment, if in a rather debilitated physical and mental state. Presumably those in charge of him provide him with enough sustenance at certain intervals to ensure his continued survival, but little enough to keep him perpetually crazed with hunger." Kirk's face was lined now, in a way that radiated disapproval. "Remember, captain, he murdered an innocent man and an unborn child and nearly killed his other half. This is Sangneen justice. The Federation regularly imprisons criminals on penal colonies-"

"This is_ not _imprisonment we're talking about, Spock, this is _torture_!" He sat up now, turning his body to the side so that his feet met the floor, ready to spring. "Haven't you ever been really hungry, Spock? So hungry that it hurts your stomach and it sends an ache all through your chest?"

He considered this. He had eaten nothing for days on several occasions, but never had he felt hungry, or at least not in the manner that Kirk described. He could not tell a lie. "No."

The lower whites of Kirk's eyes showed as half of his pupils disappeared for a heart beat. "Well, take it from me, it's not pleasant at all. These people, they live in huge palaces and have big fancy parties and, and choral recitals, and entertain Federation ambassadors and all the while they're keeping people locked up and constantly starved near to death."

"And what would you have them do, captain? Recall, they are setting an example to the majority of the population. Think of Christianity upon Earth; the terrible punishments supposedly awaiting those who did wrong after they died, or what was perceived to be wrong. In less noble examples, those who took their own lives would be bound into the earth forever as trees and torn at by rabid dogs; those who entered into relationships with their own sex would be forever set alight upon a fiery plain. Sangneen merely promises Hell while the criminal is still alive."

Kirk had cocked his head while he listened to this. "I didn't think you were religious, Spock."

"I am not, captain. I read _The Divine Comedy _on a recommendation from a colleague, mainly to discover more about fourteenth century Italian politics and the condition of the medieval mind frame. It yielded intriguing content on both subjects." He considered, and then decided to reveal the information. "It also made me ponder on why some drunken cadets referred to my ears as 'devil ears', since nowhere in the _Inferno _does it refer to Satan's ears, and I do not have three heads."

"Maybe those cadets hadn't read that particular work."

"Just as you say, captain." The man shook his head.

"You're distracting me, aren't you?"

"Of course not, captain."

"Please don't tell me that you _approve _of what they're doing to him."

Kirk sought his opinion? Asked for his cooperation in this matter?

"Captain, I am Vulcan. Whatever other impressions you may have formed about my people, know that we do not approve of violence. We must condone it upon some occasions-"

"Yeah, I've noticed-"

"-but it is very rarely the answer to the problems of the universe. Please remember from now on, Kirk, simply because I do not immediately condemn a practise does not mean that I accept it, only that I find it acceptable for the society that espouses it. Also recall that it is Ambassador Siobhan's duty, not yours, to remedy this custom, and that will only occur in time and not in one great venting of your emotions on the subject."

Kirk actually seemed to consider this. "All right, Spock. I won't let them know what I think about this, okay? At least not directly." He shifted in his seat. "Meanwhile; Cerdon-Serenu? What did you think of _them_? Apparently they're tipped to be the next two big shots around here. Or just the one big-shot, I suppose."

"I have heard this evening that they are one of several pairs eligible to become the next side of the Kin-Tei." He recalled the conversation he had had with one Sangneen woman, a rare unbonded noble, who had told him with a certain amount of bitterness of their success and their ambitions for the planet. She was evidently one of those who were not supporters of deep symbiosis, regardless of whether she had an other of her own.

"Yeah, and if they're elected others might try to follow their example, and then we'd have a whole council opposed to cooperating with the Federation; we might even have a whole planet of-"

He did not speak again. This was strange. It was the norm for Kirk to say whatever he felt, not to leave off speaking without completion. "A whole planet of?"

"Never mind." Kirk lay down again and pulled the coverlet over himself once more. "I'm tired. We'll talk more in the morning." A pity. Now that he had a grasp of Kirk's thoughts, he would not be averse to hearing more of them. "Night, Spock."

"Good night, Kirk."

A strange discussion with a strange man, but one neither wholly illogical nor uninteresting. Perhaps there would be more of the same, in time.

**

* * *

**

Kin-Tei is the Sangneen version of the Romulan senate, or basically any relatively small body of people that decides what a much larger body is going to do. More on them later.

**Also, keeping up with the plugging at the start, I recommend **_**The Divine Comedy. **_**Along with **_**Paradise Lost**_**, it's basically defined how people imagine Hell. Plus **_**Inferno's **_**fun, because it gave Dante a chance to bash all the people he didn't like, even the ones that weren't dead when he was writing it. I see Spock reading it and thinking 'This is illogical and yet somehow entertaining – and informative, of course! Must read more!'**


	11. I can't get away from morning lectures

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Move along, now.**

**

* * *

**

Well. All I can say is, I didn't know about _**Daybreakers, **_**when I started this, and I didn't know about the basic character design of the Na'vi when I envisioned the Mineen. (It's kind of odd, though, since I had actually imagined the Mineen having somewhat cat shaped noses or at least with flared nostrils, though obviously not to Na'vi extent. Let's not even get into the numbers of fingers. I can safely say, however, that they were never thought of as blue or freaky tall.) Now it looks like I've nicked things from both of them. Hey ho, that's what happens when you don't write quickly, someone publishes or premieres or whatever before you. Ho hum. Ack.****

* * *

**

I can't get away from morning lectures

"Uhura, do you wish to attend an art lecture?"

It wasn't what she was used to waking up to, although someone's face only inches from her own wasn't exactly new. Taina really seemed to have very little concept of personal space. At least she was standing a good deal away now.

"Good morning, Taina." First she fought her way out of the sheets, pulled hairs off her face and straightened the shift she'd been given to wear; only then did she give Taina her full attention. "What sort of an art lecture do you mean?"

"Cultural art. Historical." Taina had already opened a chest and was pulling out some of the clothes therein. "The influence certain artists had on art. Such things."

"I thought you had finished your studies for now?"

Taina held up a dress that made her scoot over to the side of the bed to see it better. So help her, sometimes she liked pretty clothes. "We have, but a friend of ours invited me to join her, and she agreed that I could bring you along."

_I _and _me_ again. Her curiosity must have shown, despite trying to hide it, since Taina explained at once. "My other will not come with us. She does not like learning further about certain aspects of our past."

Ah; inherited guilt. It was understandable; slavery had only been abolished on this planet for a few hundred years and from what she could tell Demita's side of the family went back quite a long way. With their social status and all the retainers and family members all living together, as was customary before the beginnings of symbiosis, they would have owned hundreds, maybe thousands of Mineen: they would have chosen which ones to breed, which ones to sterilize, which ones to enjoy and which ones to feed from. Generation upon generation created, used and thrown away to benefit a people who considered themselves 'superior'.

It could lead to a _lot_ of guilt for their descendants. A spiteful part of her mind told her that it _should. _But it shouldn't. These people, here and now, weren't those people there and then. They had made mistakes, but they had learned. Perhaps not in the right way or by doing the right things, but they had learned. And in fact, feeling guilt wasn't even the right way to go about it. It was Demita's own choice, but if it was her she wouldn't refuse to learn about her planet's past just because it made her uncomfortable.

But no matter. Taina didn't seem concerned and it was none of her business. She struggled out of the dream of a bed. "Are the captain and the commander coming?"

"Commander Spock is. Captain Kirk has chosen to remain in the embassy this morning. He wishes to discuss politics with Demita; we thought it better that he do it with one of us rather than two. Also, he does not like the heat." Taina held up one dress, then another, and held out the one Nyota nodded at. "Human males lose a lot of liquid when they are hot. We told him he would melt, and we were right."

_Don't_ _laugh at her bluntness, don't think about what Kirk would look like if he heard her, _don't_ laugh. _"It's an unfortunate trait of the male of our species. And the female as well."

"Indeed. Do you want my help in dressing?"

"I think I will manage. But could you stand by, in case I get stuck?"

Inevitably she did get stuck, and Taina patiently helped her with the sleeves and even offered to arrange her hair. She protested but, "It will take no time, I swear," her host said. "I am very quick at it." She wished she didn't have to refuse, but even if she was out of uniform she was still on duty and that meant regulation hair style, however boring it was.

Then into the columned hall for breakfast – presumably Spock had already had his, and Kirk was still sleeping or doing something else – and then they were picking out cloaks and suddenly there Spock was, cloaked and ready to go, and they were off and out into the sun light and heat and wet once more. Without any guards this time, she noticed; she wondered if they were playing hooky.

Taina kept up a steady stream of information as they walked along, not down into the city this time but along a slope that seemed to lead along the side of the valley, pointing out various land marks that they hadn't seen the day before: "That is the great meeting hall where the Kin-Tei come together from across the planet. There are versions of it in every major city, but none quite so large. It was built to celebrate the creation of the new government. The blood of both our peoples was mixed into the mortar; may it hold the stones together when all else is gone."

Or: "You recognise the pose? It is one of the most common used in sculpture even now. See? Our leaders into the true way. Elara and Finn. They are usually depicted in this manner and posture. This is one of the oldest of its kind on the planet; crafted by Girana! Of course the two were older than this at the time of the sculpture, but he still captured them well, if rather openly." And she looked away, though smiling, from the stone woman baring the man's wrist, as if she had not been letting Demita do that to her only yesterday.

Or: "The flowers are often planted together at street corners. One likes sun light, the other shade, only at half light do they bloom together. Appropriate, no?"

At last they turned into a paved road where the crowd was mostly made up of students – it seemed easy to recognise students no matter their culture - and all walking in one direction, laughing and chattering in the Sangneen way, travelling in groups. Some obviously recognised Taina and called to her and she would call back, but no one looked at them too closely or realised they were from off world this time. Perhaps it was too early in the morning. These were students, after all.

She soon caught sight of the building they were heading for, though it looked more like an opera house than a lecture hall – Sangneen seemed to tend to build _big_ – but rather than hurrying ahead Taina told them to wait back. "We cannot go in without Durga. We are her guests, we must wait for her." She was right as well; whenever a party came to the doors it was always one or two who stood forward the most and acknowledged their friends before being let in. It was more like presenting invitations to a ball than being allowed to learn things.

In fact, that was pretty much what it was like, as Taina explained. "You cannot just turn up to a lecture! The one who will address sends an invitation to all of the tutors on the subject, and they invite their students in turn, all those who work hard and truly fulfil their vocation. Once you are invited, you can in turn invite colleagues who might not study the subject but still have an interest, up to four. And truly, there is no one who does not enjoy to hear Finnen! We are very lucky."

Nyota didn't feel so lucky. Spock was looking more and more uncomfortable in the humid heat, despite his cloak and all his efforts to hide it; she tugged on his sleeve to draw him more into the shade, and touched the back of his hand. Her sleeve hid it; it was all right.

And they heard another person call Taina, only this was the person that she wanted, judging by how she sighed and then smiled at what looked like a bundle of mist hurtling down the road towards them, which just in time turned itself into a tiny girl. Her clothes, floating and silky, looked like things she had seen other men and women wearing but even more so; while her neck was covered her shoulders were bare and her billowy sleeves and skirts not only hid her figure but managed to emphasise it too. She'd barely placed her arm across her breast before she held out her hands for Taina. And her accent; her accent was beautiful, soft and rushing. "It is good to see you again, Taina; it's been too long. And it is good to meet you both." Arm over the breast again for them both and a smile than was quiet but infectious, if only to her. "Come, we'll be late, we want good seats!" They almost had to run to keep up with her; she was like a puff of smoke.

"It's _your_ fault that we're late, Durga. Where've you been?" It was lovely to hear Taina devolve into a more casual speech to match Durga, with contractions and the like, no longer formal but teasing. "Did Jerinen agree? Have the," and here she used a word Nyota didn't quite recognise; the best she could come up with was _negotiations, _"gone well?"

"Jerinen is certainly making Geran wait for it, but there's nothing against me. She's truly lovely – such a poet! You _have _to read some of her work, you have to! - but she wants to be sure it's what he really wants. That _I'm_ what he really wants. She thinks it might be Dessek and Fracese all over again."

"That wasn't your fault!"

"_Thank _you! And she knows that too, but she loves him so much, Taina. She doesn't want him to get hurt." Durga turned to look at them, especially at Spock, and seemed to take pity. "Do you know what we're talking about?"

"I don't know if we have a word for it," she admitted.

"You probably do. It's quite simple, after all."

"I believe, judging by the personal and potentially intimate nature of what you have revealed to Taina and thereby to us, you are discussing the possibility with this Jerinen of beginning a sexual relationship with her paired other, who is keen for such an aforesaid relationship." Spock rattled all this off in a particularly bland way, perhaps refusing himself to state how logical or illogical it all was. She knew that adultery or affairs were deemed illogical by Vulcan society at large, although there were always exceptions. If the marriage bond was healthy and the partners attached to each and more there was no reason to sleep with any other; if the marriage bond was just that and nothing else then the partners still sought comfort from no one else.

But then, was this really a marriage they were talking about? Demita's mother Cerean was paired with Duren, after all, but she was married to someone they hadn't met yet; and Trea had been too. In the meantime Durga seemed pleased that Spock had gotten it. "Geran and Jerinen are well paired, but Geran wants…um, _sex_, is that your word? Yes, _sex_, and he knows that I can give him that. He is with her and she with him, but he needs me for my body to be in, not for my blood and…soul, would you call it? Yes, soul. Soon I think he'll ask to see my wrists! What would you call that?"

What would they call it, people from outside of this culture? Back a few years and she might, _might, _have called it an affair, or even prostitution if this was what Durga did on a regular basis. But then, what did she know a few years ago, compared to now, especially considering the roommates and friends she had? Mistress was too crass a term, courtesan or concubine wasn't right, somehow. There were so many different types of sex and relationship. This was more like something that _did_ have rules but was generally done between friends, no payment expected except contentment on both sides.

Like Gaila, only not right at the moment since she hadn't gotten that cast off her leg yet and that seriously impeded her prospects.

"What about Teenin?"

"Teenin, my friend, is an idiot. He's run off to someone, I forget who she is, or maybe he, anyway I can't remember. Very nice, of course, but he's still an idiot. What am I to do?"

"Have him." Taina raised her hands and pressed her wrists together, her fingers toughing and forming a circle.

"Oh, I will. Perhaps we'll agree on it, after Geran. He only wants me for a little while, then I can really concentrate on _us_." They had reached the doors by now, and Durga smiled up at the guard that stood there. "Durga je Kallarack by invitation, and three guests by right of invitation." She had all but skipped in even as she and they were acknowledged.

"She's fun," Nyota commented as she'd longed to do ever since they'd met her, as they hurried after her.

"She's insane," Taina said, bluntly again but without any malice. "Normally it is my other's people who are over active, but we are certain there must be _some_ Sangni in her. I hope and dread when she pairs that she will calm down even a little."

"She is not paired?" Spock was already thinking. "But she wishes to, with this Teenin."

"Oh, yes. They are great friends, though you would not think it to look at them. They would be very good for each other; he is quite subdued, for one of my other's people. A fine match. If she paired with one more vibrant, their blood would start something terrifying!"

"We can't introduce her to Kirk," she muttered to him, only half in jest. "Even if there isn't any blood involved, I don't think the planet would survive it."

"On the contrary, I am curious to observe such a meeting and its effects. Considering his encounter with a post treatment Lieutenant Gaila, it would be most intriguing."

**

* * *

**

This is only the first part of what was intended to be a bigger chapter. I'm…not sure when the second bit will be along. And Gaila is not dead, dammit. If they killed her, I swear I will get on a plane and go over to America and kick them in the shins quite hard. I am a champion at shin kicking.

**When you imagine Durga's dress, think of Padme's lake dress from 'Clones' with a pretty head veil or something. I've probably said this somewhere else (probably not on fanfiction, though) but at times I really just watch those films for the clothes and think 'Ooo, that would look wonderful on 'blank'! **

**If you're confused about the relationships there'll be more in the next chapter to explain (hopefully), but if you can't wait just ask me and ye shall receive…info.**

**I must confess: I haven't seen **_**Avatar **_**yet, and I'm not entirely sure if I want to, since I generally don't like films where things burst out of the screen at me and make me think that angina is coming after all. (Metaphorically, of course; we haven't got to actual screen bursting in technological terms yet, at least not until the zombie apocalypse hits and for some reason I'm in a cinema when it does. But I digress. :D) And though the graphics look completely gorgeous, the prospect of seeing a CGI version of Pocahontas stuffed into a blender with Dances with wolves and pureed with a sprinkle of grated Ferngully on top does not exactly appeal, especially if I have to wear painful glasses and risk nausea to do so. But hey, I'm an open minded girl. Let's see how it goes. :D again. **


End file.
